The successful transport of coagulum for sheet-making is fraught with much greater disabilities, and it is usual to note on most estates that the resulting sheets from out-stations are always inferior, in final result, to those coagulated and prepared at the central factory. If the flat pieces of coagulum are placed in piles of any height it is common to find, on arrival at the factory, that much adhesion has been caused. There is great difficulty in separating the pieces, and often the successful operation is impossible. It is usual to hand-roll the coagulum before transport, but it is often found that by the time the rubber reaches the factory it has become too hard for subsequent good results. One of the strong arguments in favour of the establishment of divisional stations is to be found in the preceding paragraph. Sheet-making, as it necessitates the employment of only light machines suitable for hand-power, is a feasible proposition in a field station. There is no reason for sheets made thus to be in any way inferior to those made at a central factory; in fact, they are often better, as the latex has the chance of being treated when comparatively fresh. If it is found necessary to transport sheet-coagulum, every possible precaution should be taken against piling the pieces. After hand-rolling some estates bring the rubber from the field-stations to the central factory in drums of water, others in shallow boxes containing not more than half a dozen sheets in a pile. A method proposed long ago, but not in practice, was to have a number of shallow trays subdivided so that each compartment held one sheet only. If these trays were properly made and carefully fitted there appeared to be no reason why they should not form sliding parts of a large box, in which squeezing and adhesion of the pieces of coagulum would be avoided. Naturally any such device would increase appreciably the weight to be transported, and on this ground would not find popular favour except where motor-power is used for road transport. PART II FACTORY OPERATIONS CHAPTER VII _PRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF LATEX_