The sun., 1910-05-15
TAPPING FOR RUBBER.
yarious Methods IN different Countries
What "Latex" Es.

What "Latex" u.
The methods of tapping 20 procure
the latex from which caoutohOuc or rubber
j. obtained, are a. various almost a. the
genera Of trees and plants yielding it.
The latex or milky juice procured by
the various processes Of tapping is COM
posed Of oaoutchouo In the form OF minute
globulcs. similar 60 the butter Cat in animal
milk and other chemical substances.
including resin. The finished rubber
eOsnInan,iing the highest price in the
market j. that in which the least quantity
Of the substances Incompatible with
elasticity and durability is retained
This aim, naturally, is more easily
achieved from lateX possessing the least
proportion 0f resin which substance
- insoluble In most liquids. says the West
minster GdEefs. and is. therefore. with dif-
hculsy got nd Of and the lateS in which
/ Il IL present in the least quantity is that
rendered by tho Hevea or Para rubber
tree. which contains about 20 per cent.
Of rubber.
What il known as @lateN' h not. as
might ~ supposed. synonymous with
sap.- Scientists seem not ~ have been
able % discover yet what particular
function Is iulHlled by -latex- Il Is CON
tained mostly in the tissue. composed
Of minute tubes. forming the middle
layer of bark lts color varies from pure
white to pale yellow and when fresh no
smell and very slight taste can he de-
| tected.
Tapping, In all cases. consists Of max.
ing incisiOns IN the bark sufficiently
deep to penetrate INTO the latex bearing
vessels Deeper WOunding. while yielding
no more la,ex. deteriorates the quality
OF Il by allowing the juice Of the wood
10 mix with %. and interferes with the
growth Of the tree by arresting the up
ward flow Of sap.
There ~ no hard and fast rule observed
az % how old a tree should he before tap
ping h commenced. Usually. however
| a tree In not tapped much before Il is siX
or seven years old. as the at"K obtained
| from young trees and plant is found
/ 90 be less pure than that from the older
and more mature trees. A ser - u tap
pings made once. or II th' previous
wounds have healed. twice NJ year
n not too frequsnt Tor the preservation
OF the tres in q healthy condition
Where q systematic series OF tapping
Of the Para rubber tree are made the
incisions are kept open for some time
the yield increasing steadily daily unti
a ina ximum is reached In a period varying
from three TO fourteen days, when th'
flow a. gradually decreases. until, IL NOR,
- wanted, fresh incisiOns have 20 be mad
elsewhere in the bark. The latex Ia caugh
generally in small cups or tins--usualll
capable Of holding about siK ounces o.
liquid-aflxed 70 the tree beneath The
incisions.
In the valley OF the Amazon the tre,
there indigenous IL tapped often for sli
months continuously. being allowed tn
same periodic recupeFate in. The metho'
of tapping there u by making q simpl'
upward incision Ia the bark The hov
Of latex 10 always more abundant In we
weather The usual yield AZ one tappini
Of the Para rubber tree h about SIX ounce
Of lateK. The process of tapping N gen
eral uss on the Para estates, in the Malal
Peninsula. is known ~ the herring bone
the length oi the bone and the numbe
OF 0blique ribs varying according q
the sire Of the tree
In CsylOn q row II v shaped inoisioua
about aiK inches long. Ia made about ~
feet from the ground. In West AirioI
the natives cut long perpendicular chan
nels In the bark. with smallrr transvers
ones leading into H. less quantit.
of atsx. rather than more. is yielded b
tapping the trees high up. -CeaFa' run
Der. derived from the haDihot. a nativ
tree of the province oi Ceara, IN Brazil
Is left to Goa Rulate on the tree.