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cuts are regular in position and can be easily and systematically 

 arranged and that too in such a way that the whole of the area of the 

 trunk can be tapped in a definite period of time, the number of cups 

 is reduced to the minimum, only one or at most two being required 

 for each tree. 



If in addition a small metal spout, easily made by bending a 

 slip of tinned iron, be fixed into the base of the tree at the end of 

 the vertical cut. the cups need never be damaged by forcing their 

 edges into the bark of the tree, but can be hung by a peg to the tree 

 below the spout or merely placed upon the ground. 



The central channel is never reopened nor is the spout removed 

 during the whole of the time each tree is tapped and the latex is as 

 clean as it is possible to have it. 



The real and material advantages are the practical economy ol 

 time and labour in cup fixing, collecting and washing, the saving in 

 wear and tear of the cups and in the number initially required, and 

 added to these are the advantages of being able to work on a definite 

 system. 



It has been objected that the use of one central collecting chan- 

 nel leads to more " scrap" rubber, on account of some of the latex 

 coagulating in that channel every day. This is certainly true, but 

 the percentage increase is not much, and with the use of a washing 

 machine scrap will be very little less valuable than fine rubber. 



The half herring bone differs from the full herring bone in that 

 the lateral cuts are made on one side only of the vertical channel. 

 The cuts may be to the right or left as is found most convenient to 

 the cooly in cutting, and the cnts are twice the length of those in the 

 full herring bone. 



This method will, I believe, shew advantage over the full herring 

 bone in so far as it will adapt itself to the general right handedness 

 of the cooly if all the cuts slope up from right to left, and this 

 method of cutting is I believe the best that will be adopted. 



The advantages may for the sake of clearness he recapitulated : — 



The number of cups is a minimum. The wear and tear of the 

 cups is reduced to the smallest value. 



The method is capable of being systematically carried out on a 

 large scale. 



The plan of cutting is simple and adapted to quickest and easiest 

 manual labour. 



From the foregoing consideration it may, I think, be fairly 

 assumed that the "half herring bone" is the method to be adopted, 

 and it now remains to shew how the areas for tapping may be plotted 

 out and systematically arranged. 



Here I feel to lie treading on rather dangerous ground in so far 

 as lack of knowledge of practical planting may subject me to the 

 accusation of meddling with things outside my own domain. That I 

 have no intention of doing, all that relates to the tapping and collec- 

 tion of latex, the; effect of wounding rubber trees, the age at which 

 tapping may be safely begun and kindred subjects are fit and suitable 



