New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
GUTTA -PERCHA BECOMING SCARCE.
DESTRUCTION OF TREES IN THE EAST INDIES
REDUCES THE SUPPLY.

REDUCES THE SUPPLY.
acre is such a close resemblance between
gutta percha and india rubber that good many
people corfound one with the other Both are
obtained in the form of milky juice from trop-
zeal trees. but they come from different kinds
Of trees Those which yield the gutta- percha
are known 10 the botanists as The Sapota null
lcri and the lsonandra gutta whereas rub
Der is obtained from certain species Of the Apo
cyanaccr, Euphorbiacen and Urtcacen. More
over, caoutchouc is so elastic at ordinary tenn
peratures that bit OF ii viii stretch to several
times its original length. whereas Gutta- percha
is more like ivory when cool. 1t has elasticity,
10 be sure but 1t is the elasticity of billiard
ball rather than that Of a return-b ball string.
Rubber is applied 10 an almost infinite variety
OF uses in the arts while gutta- peroha is now
seldom employed for anything but an insulating
cover for submarine telegraph cables. although
IL was once worked up into buttons and num-
Der Of other small moulded objects, being very
plastic when warmed. Then, again, there is a
distinct difference In the chemical constitution OF
pure rubber and gutta percha. a molecue Of the
former contains eight atoms Of carbon and four
teen Of hydrogen and one Of the latter contains
ten atoms of carbon to sixteen Of hydrogen
Within the last few years the worlds supply
OF Eutta ptltEa mas utttIipsittu III pndlINs' u
It has not diminished n quantity. Certainly
the amount Of first class gum has decreased.
This state OF things results from the reckless
ness Of the producers in the East Indies. The
juice OF the caoutchouc tree is obtained by
merely tapping the tree, but il was long Gus
tomary-though perhaps not necessary-to cut
the Gutta.pcrcha tree entirely down in order TO
get its milky product. That practice could be
| a. rrie1 short time without serious
harm bu, IN time il Killed the foose which laid
the golden eggs Cor the people engaged in the in
dustry.
The Juice Of the gutta- percha contains two
other hydrocarbons besides the which gives
| its name to the tree. Now, the proportion of
these different elements in the juice varies
greatly Besides, in the work OF collecting the
stuff more or less dirt gets in In both OF these
respects the quality OF the gum sent 10 market
lately has fallen on 1t therefore happens that
! in spite OF an increased demand, the price OF
crude gutta- percha has fallen IN the last few
years from eight to scarcely more than six
! poands sterling a plcul u33 pounds. Rubber
| in the mean time has remained very steady at
! the same ports Its price. by the way al Sara
wax Borneo, has long been about six and half
! pounds sterling picul.
! Some effort has been made in the East Indies
/ to cultivate trees that Will produce a high grade
OF gum but these experiments are so slow in
yielding any return that the venture IS not an
encouraging one one must wait so long TO be-
gin to make any profit that it hardly seems prac-
| ticable to attain the desired result by private
enterprise. Governmental subsidies nay prove
! 70 be necessary. Just now. England. which has
the most famous and extensive cable manufac-
tory in the world. is the chief consumer OF gutta-
percha. During the last few years her annual