235 



yield from these was rather over 5 lb. of dry rubber, or an 

 average of | oz. per tree. 



Small lots of this rubber have been sent to London for valuation, 

 and good prices have been quoted, 2s. to 2s. 6d. being quoted 

 for the scrap, and 4s. 2d. to 4s. 8d. for the washed rubber. No 

 large quantity has yet been put on the market. 



It is not yet known how frequently trees of this age can be 

 tapped and made to yield an amount worth the cost of collecting. 

 It is possible that they might stand three tappings in the year, 

 which would bring the yield up to about I oz. per tree. The cost 

 of collecting the rubber as scrap is from 6d. to /d. per ft., while 

 if the latex is taken wet and washed, the operation is more 

 laborious and the cost per pound increases. There are some 

 twenty to thirty trees on the estate, aged seven years from seed, 

 and experiments have also been made on these, from which it 

 appears that the yield increases fairly quickly as the tree gets 

 older. 



Six of these trees were tapped, not severely, in March, 1904, 

 and gave 12^ oz. dry rubber. The same trees were tapped again 

 in September and gave 10 oz.. or nearly I ft>. per tree in the two 

 tappings. These trees, however, were rather above the average 

 in growth for their age. 



Trees planted at 8i feet by 8| feet could not be left growing to 

 this size without injury to each other; and if a field is planted 

 with the idea of getting rubber' from the intermediate trees, as 

 soon as they get old enough to yield, and before it is necessary to 

 cut them out, it would seem that 8| feet is too close a distance, and 

 that 12 feet would be about the most suitable distance. 



In a field planted at 12 feet by 12 feet, and intended to stand 

 permanently at 24 feet by 24 feet, the intermediate trees could 

 probably be allowed to attain an age of eight or nine years before 

 being cut down. In such a field there would be about 225 inter- 

 mediate trees per acre on which to work. Basing a calculation on 

 a yield of 4 oz. per tree in the seventh year, the yield works out at 

 56 fti. of rubber, which, at 2s. 6d. per lb., and deducting 6d.. per lb. 

 for the cost of collection, shows a profit of £5 1 2s. per acre. 



These tappings might be continued in the eighth and ninth 

 years, with a probable increase in yield each year, at the end of 

 which time the intermediate trees would be cut down, and the 

 tapping of the permanent trees begun. 



DISTANCE OF PLANTING. 

 The conclusion to be arrived at from these facts seems to point 

 to close planting being advisable in order to ensure a compara- 

 tively quicker return, but it is doubtful if it would be worth while 

 to plant closer than 10 feet, and I am inclined to agree with Mr. 

 Orde that 12 feet is the best distance to adopt. 



YIELD OF LATEX. 

 Tapping was first started on Richmond estate in November 

 1899, the trees being then about nine years old. One hundred 

 and twenty-two trees were tapped, the average yield being 2 oz. 



