107 
“ My experience is that quite apart from all questions of 
strength, the question of the vulcanizing properties of plantation 
rubber is the greatest trouble the manufacturer has to face. 
Without efficient control, faulty vulcanization undoubtedly will be 
responsible for loss of time and money. These troubles, in factories 
where scientific control is not thoroughly organized, may be sufficient 
to condemn the use of this grade (that is plantation rubber, B. J. E.) 
entirely.” 
Since that date we have travelled far in our knowledge of the 
vagaries of this wonderful substance and one can say it, with a 
certain amount of pride, without being egotistical, that the 
Agricultural Department of the Federated Malay States has had the 
honour and good fortune of contributing the most important and 
fundamental researches on the problem. 
The above remarks by Mr. Williams constitute the first 
intimation from the manufacturer of the nature of the variability of 
plantation rubber. These remarks were confirmed at. the same 
Congress by Dr. Schidrowitz in a paper entitled “ Variability ” in 
which figures for numerous cases of such variability were published. 
Independently, later in 1914, our early researches led to the same 
conclusions ; since which we have been able to discover the cause or 
causes of the variability and many of the contributing factors in 
connection with estate factory practice which have an influence on 
variability. 
It can therefore in the first place be enunciated that the 
principal defect of the plantation product is its variable behaviour 
during vulcanization, or to put it in the technical terms used by the 
rubber manufacturer, variability in rate of cure or speed of 
vulcanization. 
The remedy, i.e., the method of obtaining uniformity in this 
respect, can only be attained after a realization of the cause, and the 
great aim of scientific research is to connect cause and effect in the 
world of nature. It may however be argued logically, assuming 
that variability is due chiefly or entirely to methods of preparation 
rather than to intrinsic differences in the latex on different estates 
or from different areas or districts, that uniform methods of 
preparation will ensure uniformity of product, but even so, we are at 
much greater advantage if we possess a knowledge of the cause, 
since it may then be essential only to adopt uniform methods in one 
or two respects. Secondly a knowledge of the cause of variability 
will enable us possibly to prepare an improved type of the raw 
product, having realized that our existing methods are entirely 
empirical and like “ Topsy ” have merely “ grown.” 
Fortunately a knowledge of the cause of variability deduced 
from our researches, enables us to state that variable methods of 
preparation are chiefly, if not entirely responsible for variability of 
