A New Source Of Rubber

The discovery of a new source of Lagos rnbber, from a tree known to the uativen as the "ire," or"ireh,"has given a great Ímpetus to the trade of the west coast of África in a rnbber of extremely good qnality. The Kioksia africana forma a tree 50 to 60 feet high, with a trunk averaging 12 to 14 inches in diameter. It is said to be one of the most beautiful trees of the forest and is capable of prodnciug in a good season as mnch as from 10 to 15 pouuds of rubber per tree. For the purpose of extracting the rubber a deep vertical cut is made through the bark and several oblique cuts on each side running into the main channel, at the base of which a vessel is placed to receive the exuding milk, which is coagulated by allowing a quantity to stand for some days in a oavity made in the trunk óf a tree, so that the watery portiou evaporates or eoaks into the ■woQd, leaving the solid portion behind, which is kueaded and pretssed togethe.r into a golid mass, or the milk is placed in a vessel and boiled, the rubber beginning to coagúlate I almost immediatelv heat is aDDlied. -