104 
Blanket crepe has gone out of favour, and thin lace crepe is now the 
fashionable form, and to get this of close texture at least four rolls 
in the smooth finisher are necessary. The first one is done with a 
single length of rubber as it comes from the creper, and the result 
is a thin strip full of holes. This is divided into lengths and three 
to four lengths put through together, making another thin strip with 
still a few holes, but getting nearer the right texture. Two lengths 
of this then go through evenly knitted together, and a final roll of 
the resultant single length should be enough. The smooth finished 
rollers are hard up during all four rolls. During the finishing 
process any soiled or discoloured pieces should be torn off to go into 
a lower grade. 
The finished crepe is dripped till all water is off and x*emoved to 
the drying shed to be bung after weighing. Fine crepe should be 
ready for packing in six to seven days. It should be pure white 
when it goes into the drying shed and should not darken beyond 
a rich cream colour. The thinner the crepe is made, the lighter 
will it show up in colour when finished, and if the sodium bisulphite 
has been properly mixed into the latex the colour will be even. 
Lower Crepe Grades. 
For the treatment of lump and bark scrap, of course, no 
coagulant is wanted, but sodium bisulphite plays a large part in the 
resultant colour of these. The rolling required is the same as for 
pale crepe, but the preliminary treatment consists of washing 
mainly. It is important to deal with lump immediately it comes in 
from the field as oxidation has started, which means discolouration 
eventually, and the further oxidation has gone the worse the 
discolouration becomes. Oxidized pieces should be picked out by 
hand, and the lump put into the washer with hot water playing 
on it. I do this for 10 minutes and the hot water checks oxidation. 
A final washing of 10 minutes is given with the water turned off 
above, and tlie outlet shut below, enough water being kept in to 
come up to within an inch of the top of the rollers. A solution 
of sodium bisulphite is added and gets thoroughly into the mass 
during the washing process. The rubber is then rolled out in the 
same way as pale crepe and should be very nearly equal in colour 
and texture to the first latex grade. 
Bark and tree-scrap are washed together as soon as possible 
after arrival at the factory, and are treated in the same way as the 
lump, except that 10 minutes’ longer washing is required to get rid 
of all dirt before the sodium bisulphite solution is added. 
/ 
Folding and Packing. 
The lengths of crepe are taken down when dry and folded to fit 
the cases. A rather ingenious folding rack has been in use on 
Sandycroft Estate for a number of years. It consists of a frame 
