85 



sary to open many of these tubes by wounding the bark. The 

 rubber is formed in floating globules inside the tubes and can not 

 pass through their walls, so that even a suction apparatus would 

 not bring it out unless the tubes were cut. 



Primitive methods of tapping. 



The method by which the natives of Soconusco have been 

 accustomed to extract the milk is as follows : — The ulero makes 

 with his machete diagonal lines of gashes that open chan- 

 nels along which the milk can flow until it is all brought to one 

 side of the tree, whence it is led down to a cavity hollowed in the 

 ground and lined with the tough leaves of Calathsea. These are 

 dexterously lifted up, and the milk is poured out into a calabash 

 or other vessel and carried away to be coagulated. The diagonal 

 channels are from 2 to 3 feet apart, and those of each successive 

 tapping are inserted between the older scars. The diagonal lines 

 are carried well around the tree ; to tap it on the other side requires 

 much deeper cuts in order to pass the milk across the older 

 grooves, down which it would otherwise run and be lost. That 

 the trees at La Zacualpa had been able to survive so much of this 

 barbarous treatment and were still vigorous and heavily laden 

 with fruit seems to indicate great tenacity of life. And yet even 

 this rough handling represents an improvement upon the former 

 custom of cutting the trees down entirely or hewing steps in them 

 for the ulero to climb up. Instead of the forked stick used as a 

 ladder at La Zacualpa the large forest trees were ascended for 30 

 feet or more by means of ropes, vines, climbing irons, and steps 

 cut in the trunk. The following is a description of a method of 

 tapping the trees in the forest of Nicaragua : 



When the collectors find au untapped tree in the forest they first make a ladder 

 out of the lianas or " vejucos" that hang from every tree. This they do by 

 tying short pieces of wood across them with smill lianas, many of which areas 

 tough as cord Tht-y then proceed to score the bark with cuts which extend 

 nearly around the tree, like the letter V, the point bemy downwa-d. A cut like 

 this is made about every 3 feet all the way up the trunk. The milk will all run 

 out of the tree in about an hour after it is cit, and it is coll ccel into a large tin 

 bottle made flat on one side and furni>hed with straps to fasten onto ;i man's 

 back. A decoction is made from a liana (Calonyction speeiosum), and tins, on 

 being added to the milk in the proportion of 1 pint to the gallon, coagulates it to 

 rubber, which is made into round, flat cakes. A large tree, 5 feet in diameter, 

 will yield, when first cut, about 20 gallons of milk, each gallon of which makes 2^ 

 pounds of rubber. I was told that the tree recovers from the wounds and may 

 be cut again after the laose of a few m >nths ; but several I saw were killed 

 through the largf> harlequin beetle (Acrocinus longimaims) lajnng its eggs in the 

 cuts, and the grubs that are hatch <1 boring great holes all through the trunk. 

 When these grubs are at work you can hear their rasping by standing at the bot- 

 tom of the tree, and the wood dust thrown out of their burrow.-* accumulates in 

 heaps on the ground below, (a) 



{To be continued.) 



(ri) The Naturalist in Nicaragua, Thomas Bt 11. F.G.S., pp. H8-H4. The liana called hy 

 Belt Cilomjcf.ioii s^'^-cioiuin. is generally culled Ipuinoru //diui-ikix. 



