250 



There would also be another season commencing in September 

 with those trees then flowering. As with all trees, the ratio of 

 growth is variable at different periods, but taking the girth of 

 Hevea trees here, a 3-year old tree at 3 feet from the ground being 

 13-15 inches, and an l8-year old tree lOO inches: the annual 

 increment would average nearly 6 inches in circumference, and I 

 am sanguine that Hevea trees can be tapped in Malaya when 6 

 years old, if not earlier, when I estimate the girth at 24-30 inches 

 on good free soil*. Tapping should be commenced at the base of 

 the tree, working upwards to 6 or 8 feet if necessary, and if a tree 

 be operated on in a workmanlike manner, three annual tappings 

 could be executed before going over old incisions." 



RUBBER YIELDS, t 



Yields ill Ccylou. "The yield of rubber varies from 7 lb. per 400 

 trees in one tapping to a maximum of 25 lb. per tree in twelve 

 months' tapping. The first series of reliable yieldsj are those 

 obtained at Henaratgoda from 1888 to 1896. One tree at Henarat- 

 goda was lightly tapped every second year, and gave for nine 

 years an average annual yield of li lb. of dry rubber: — 



27f oz. in 1888 



42 oz. in 1890 



45 oz. in 1892 



51 oz. in 1894 



48^ oz. in 1896 



This tree was twelve years old when first tapped, and the annual 

 yield of I A lb. was from the 1 2th to the 20th year of the tree's life. 

 The method of tapping consisted of scraping off the rough outer 

 bark and making numerous V-shaped incisions to a height of 

 about five feet. The tree had a circumference of 50i inches and 

 was growing with other trees of nearly equal size, distanced 30 

 feet apart. Other experiments have been made at Henaratgoda 

 which indicated similar results by consecutive weekly tappings of 

 the trees. 



Yields oil Estates. "To form an estimate of the yield to b® 

 obtained from large acreages of Para rubber trees of known ag^ 

 is no easy task, and the best way to deal with this part of the 

 subject is to give only the results which have been obtained on 

 rubber estates in this island. 



Matabele District. " In the Matabele District there are estates 

 where an average yield of | lb. of dry rubber per tree from 5,000 

 trees has been obtained in one month's tapping. The average 

 circumference of these trees was 35 inches a yard from the ground. 

 On another property a yield of 3! lb. of rubber per tree has been 

 obtained from 499 trees in seven months' tapping. Another 

 estate, in the same district, has obtained an average yield of 3i lb. 



* In his rei ort to tlie India Office Close mentioned that Hevea trees of 6-8 inches 

 diamtter are tapped in Brazil, 

 t H. Wright, I ara Rubber. 

 j Dr. Trimen, Notes on Rubber Experiments. 



