. Plants and their uses; an introduction to botany . lowering branch. B, part of flower-cluster. C,staminate flower. D, same with calyx removed. E, pistillate flower,with calyx removed. (Berg and Schmidt.)—Tree growing 20 m. tall;leaves thin; flowers inconspicuous; fniit somewhat fleshy. Nativehome, Brazil. covering wounds promptly with a waterproof agencies of decay. One of the most important Ameriean sources of caoutchoucis the Brazilian rul)ber-tree (Fig. 270). Long before thecoming of Europeans the South American Indians made use 282 INDUSTRIAL PLANTS of crude rubber for
. Plants and their uses; an introduction to botany . lowering branch. B, part of flower-cluster. C,staminate flower. D, same with calyx removed. E, pistillate flower,with calyx removed. (Berg and Schmidt.)—Tree growing 20 m. tall;leaves thin; flowers inconspicuous; fniit somewhat fleshy. Nativehome, Brazil. covering wounds promptly with a waterproof agencies of decay. One of the most important Ameriean sources of caoutchoucis the Brazilian rul)ber-tree (Fig. 270). Long before thecoming of Europeans the South American Indians made use 282 INDUSTRIAL PLANTS of crude rubber for various articles including water-vessels,shoes, and torches. Similar prehistoric use was made by theEast Indians of the product they obtained from the india-rubber tree (Fig. 271) which yet remains one of the moreimportant Asiatic sources of this remarkable substance. Simple, [)rimitive methods of obtaining the raw materialare still practised very generally by the natives of to-day whoin various parts of the world collect the rubber which is ex-. Fiu. 271.—India Ruhbfr-trcc (Ficus clasliai, Mulbcrij- Family, Moracece).Tip of branch showing leaves, the youngest unfolding and still partlyenwrapped by the protective stipule-case. (Original.)—Tree m. tall; leaves thick antl ; flowers similar to those of the fig(see page 102); fruit fig-like, greenish-yellow. Native home, TropicalAsia. ported to Europe ^nd America for manufacture. , axcuts are made in the bark of a good-sized tree in such away that the milk which flows from the wounds ^vill run intolittle cups so placed as to receive it. The collector on hisrounds empties the contents of into a larger vesselwhich he finally carries to where the milk is to be separation of the caoutchouc from the whey-like partof the milk is accomplished variously; as for example, bymere exposure to the air, or by the addition of water or vari-ous salts; but the best rubber is obtained by the process
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1913
