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any type or design of machine he wants, and any pattern of grooving 
cut on heavy rollers and sheet-making machines. The plant on this 
estate consists of a 50 B. H.-P. “ Mirrlees-Diesel” engine with a 
40 B. H.-P. “ Crossley ” engine in reserve, a “ Universal ” washer, 
three new type Shaw’s heavy machines, two Shaw’s hand or 
power sheeting-machines, and three old type Shaw’s heavy 
machines. Approximately, 300,000 lbs. are treated in the course of 
a year and it will be seen that we are practically insured against a 
stoppage caused by a break-down to any one engine or machine. 
The floor of each building should be of good clean cement and 
immediately under and near the rollers white tiles are an aid 
to cleanliness. 
PREPARATION OF RIBBED SMOKED SHEET. 
I take this grade first as it seems to have finally established 
itself as the most convenient form in which to turn out No. 1 latex, 
and is made on nearly every estate. It is not essential to have 
expensive machinery to deal with it, and small estates can make 
smoked sheet with the bulk of their crop without a heavy capital 
outlay. It thus justifies its position as first favourite with planters 
generally. It is also the most interesting grade to make, as so much 
depends on attention to detail, and neglect of any kind is very 
apparent in the finished article, though it may possibly pass 
unnoticed when the sheet leaves the marking-machine. Perfection 
is more difficult to attain in smoked sheet than in any form of crepe, 
because nothing can be done to rectify any mistake at any time 
during the process of curing. You cannot tear out a piece of bark 
or grit from a sheet in the same way as in pale crepe without 
ruining the appearance of the sheet ; you cannot roll it smooth again 
once it has got torn in the rollers without leaving an ugly mark ; 
you cannot get rid of bubbles once the coagulation has set ; “ rust ” 
remains for good after the first day’s drying, and no amount of 
scrubbing and washing will rid you of dust o$ ash which has got on 
to the sheet before it has a film of smoke over it. 
These defects all have their value when the manufacturer’s 
representative has a look at the rubber in the broker’s show-room, 
and a penny a pound less than the best is a serious thing over a 
year’s production from any estate. It is, roughly, $6,000 on a crop of 
200,000 lbs. as much as the manager’s salary for the year probably. 
Most of the well-found estates are now turning out smoked sheet of 
a high standard, but one has only to look at the range of prices 
quoted in the brokers’ sale reports to see that some estates at least 
are not getting the best they can. I have been round show-rooms in 
Singapore with some of the leading American buyers, and they are 
very emphatic about their requirements in standard smoked sheet. 
It must be clean, strong, thoroughly smoked, uniform in appearance, 
and give the same results under vulcanization in the same time in 
a 
£>^- 13/53 
