( 29 ) 
.A lighter coloured product can be prepared by 
soaking the fresh material, as soon as possible after 
collection, in a bath of sodium bisulphite and acetic 
acid, followed by a similar soaking of the crepe 
immediately after machining. This will improve 
the colour and market value, but not quality. 
Packing of In spite of recommendations and the 
Rubber. invention of other suitable methods of 
packing, the greater part of the rubber 
in Malaya is still exported in wooden cases ; and no 
precautions, such as lining the boxes, are taken to 
avoid contamination of the rubber with dust and 
splinters from the cases. For local transport to 
Singapore, however, collapsible canvas cases are 
employed by some estates and found to be satis- 
factory and economical. 
Two recent inventions consist of cases constructed 
of a good quality lower grade crepe, or of the dried 
leaves of the “ mengkuang.” The market objection 
to such packing appears to be that the rubber in 
the lower packages, when in the hold of a ship, 
becomes consolidated to a solid block owing to the 
weight of the packages above. Apart from this, 
such packing material would appear to be very 
satisfactory. 
It is, however, surprising that no extensive attempt 
has been made generally to line the inside of the 
■ordinary wooden cases with a good lower-grade crepe 
or even to place a number of the sheets in the box 
in such a manner that a rubber lining composed of 
single sheets is formed, which would protect the 
whole of the remaining rubber packed in the box. 
However, the producer can probably scarcely be 
blamed, since, even if he took this trouble, he would 
not necessarily obtain a better price for his product. 
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