Under existing conditions governing the sale and purchase of rubber, various "standards" are set up. These really have no bearing upon the intrinsic qualities of the rubber, and are concerned almost entirely with superficial attributes. They are necessary in the absence of any proper scheme of evaluation for the establishment of certain standards of comparison, which imply that the rubber is apparently clean, free from certain recognised defects, and has been carefully prepared--as far as can be determined by a superficial examination. Thus the question of "finish" has attained disproportionate importance, but must be respected when preparing rubber for sale. Under ordinary conditions, thin crepe rubber, as it leaves the finishing machines, has what may be termed "deckled" edges. On many estates, in order to comply with market conditions, the edges of the wet crepe are trimmed, and the trimmings re-made into lengths of crepe. This is done under the impression that the market price is influenced by the evenness of the edges of crepe rubbers. Again, it sometimes happens that, owing to "wear" of the rolls, the finished dry crepe may show a faint but distinct pattern of mark--a diamond or a horizontal bar. Since these are not accepted under the "standard" comparisons, rubber exhibiting these characteristics does not obtain the top market price. In other words, these innocent and innocuous marks are regarded as defects and penalised accordingly. Enough has been written to show how very important becomes the question of finish. It will be acknowledged that the superficial qualities demanded in the "standard" market type can be reproduced by any estate having adequate machinery and ample facilities for drying and handling the rubber. Methods of preparation and formulæ for the employment of chemicals are so well laid down that, up to the stage of machining, no difficulty need be encountered. But the standard type of finish in the dry crepes cannot be obtained unless the estate factory is fully equipped with the three types of rolls necessary--_i.e._, macerators, intermediate crepers, and smooth finishing-rolls. This subject has received full discussion in Chapter XIII., and is here only mentioned with the view of emphasising the point that no estate can be blamed for a lack of "finish" in crepe rubbers if the equipment of machinery is inadequate or in poor condition. If, on the other hand, the factory has ample machinery for requirements, and a good finish cannot be obtained on the thin crepe, then it is time the rolls were attended to and changed, or that the ratios of the driving pinions were altered.