The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-18
Interesting Facts
 Concerning Rubber

Crude rubber differs so much In appearance from manufactured rub Der that only those familiar with 1t would be likely to recognize it as rubber.
 During the war, when the allies were taking such stringent precau- tions to prevent rubber from reach ing Germany, the secret service men had to receive special instructions so that they would know rubber when they saw it.
 Rubber Is obtained from many plants and trees in the tropics and 1t reaches the markets in many wide ly varying forms But the fine grades of crude rubber are the smoked sheets and pale crepe from the great rubber plantations of the war east. and Para the rubber obtained from trees that grow wild in the jungles of the Amazon.
 Crude rubber comes to the manu- lecturers today in much better shape and condition than when the indus try was young. Then many of the inferior grades were siimy. foul- looking messes that were anything but pleasant to handle Modern methods have produced many changes and the rubber comes in today, espe- cially in the finer grades, looking almost good enough to eat. Para rubber makes its way to the markets in the form of biscuits" !" large balls weighing about 60 pounds each. They are rich brown in col or. The native worker in the Anna zon district makes these biscuits by | dipping a wooden paddle into the latex--the liquid form in which rub | Der comes from the trees-and then | holding the paddle with the rubber l that adheres to it in the smoke of | certain leaves and nuts until the la
 tex is coagulated. When the first l layer Is thoroughly smoked, the l paddle is again dipped. layer and | all, and the second layer given the
 smoke treatment. So the biscuit is built up, layer upon layer, until a 1 ball of the desired size is made. The methods used are very crude and the workmen are none too careful and 1 it is necessary before the rubber is used in manufacture to give 1t a 1 thorough cleansing to remove impur- | ities.
 Into the production of crude rub Der on the plantations of the far cast. on the other hand. have gone | the ingenuity and resourcefulness of
 
 | race with the result that the rubber i coming from the plantations is very | largely free of impurities and care fully packed. Each plantation has | It's own views as to the best form of preparing the rubber for market, but it comes chiefly in three forms. | smoked sheet, thin pale crepe and thick pale crepe. As it's name im- l plies, smoked sheet has received A smoke treatment but the crepes are unsmoked. Crepe takes It's name | from its resemblance to paper crepe.
 The thick pale crepe looks so much like tripe that if some of 1t were displayed in a butchers win dow a housewife would likely ask for "a couple of pounds of that nice looking tripe In the window" 1t is l made up in sheets about half inch thick and has a lemon tint. l Thin crepe Is made In sheets about as thick as heavy flannel and looks l like flannel. the lemon color being 1 more pronounced.
 Smoked sheets might easily pass for ] the black moiasses candy that was So popular with the boys and girls l of 50 years ago. Itis about a quar- ter inch thick and has a deep brown color, verging on black. It's shiny