482 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1917. 



ploying 416 men and 355 women. Both the Hirando Rubber 

 Manufacturing Co. and the Ogata Rubber Store, of Osaka, have 

 recently completed additions to their factories. The latter in- 

 cludes the best modern equipment for the manufacture of over- 

 shoes and rubber heels. 



Several new stockholders have increased the working capital 

 of the Taiheigo Rubber Co. to $6,000. 



At the general meeting of the Asaki Rubber Co., a $150,000 

 plantation firm, it was announced that its trees, valued at about 

 $116,000, are about to come into bearing. 



A rubber horseslioe said to have three times the durabiliy of 

 an iron horseshoe has been patented by Gentaro Yameguchi. 



The Taigo Rubber Co., 17 Kayabadio, Honjoku, has been re- 

 organized with a capital of $50,000 for manufacturing and selling 

 rubber goods. 



NOVEL TAPPING KNIFE AND LATEX SPOUT. 



TAPPING METHODS. 



A N interesting article, contributed by F. M. Riley to the 

 *» "Planters' Chronicle," explains the various tapping methods 

 employed by planters in Malaysia. He enumerates the four now 

 employed on European-managed estates as follows : 



A. Basal V 



h. One cut one quarter 



C. Two cuts one quarter (same quarter) 



D. One third 



The first mentioned (A) Basal V, is mostly employed on 

 newly opening up, where a fairly large return per acre is desired. 



(B). The one cut one quarter is chiefly employed on old 

 trees, say 10 or 12 years old, where the preservation of the bark 

 Jias become of vital importance. 



DAILY TAPPING RECOMMENDED FOR ONE QUARTER CUTS. 



•iC). Two cuts one quarter (same quarter) are used when 

 the tapping in the past has not been so drastic and the conser- 

 vation of the bark not of such vital importance. Generally on 

 old trees, the cuts can be 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches apart, accord- 

 ing to size of the trees. Alternate day tapping is strongly ad- 

 vised for this system. 



THE ONE-THIRD METHOD CONSIDERED BEST. 

 (D). This, the one-third method, is the last referred to, and 

 is considered the most important of all. It is a comparatively 

 new practice and has stood all tests well. Under this system 

 the amount of bark consumed is 17 per cent less than the Basal 

 V, while the amount of latex differs only slightly, on some 

 estates practically not at all, and on others not more than 10 

 per cent less. The exception is on young trees, and this is an 

 advantage, as the Basal V for young trees is considered too 

 severe a treatment, removing too much latex. It is possible that 

 the one-third method may be adopted on the system of daily tap- 

 ping, and come into general use both for old and young trees. 

 Great differences in estates are noted, especially in respect to 

 soil, moisture, etc., and those exposed to the sea air are reported 

 as not giving such good results as those located inland. 



TAPPING KNIVES. 



Regarding tapping knives it appears several kinds are in use 

 and recommended, but the great art of good tapping is a sharp 

 knife, and most coolies take two knives with them to the field, 

 cutting half the job with one, and half with the other, the knives 

 being resharpened at night by a professional, who gets about 

 50 cents per man per month, this being paid by the coolies. 



This applies only to the Chinese, however, who are better 

 paid than the Tamils. The latter sharpen their own knives. 

 One of the duties of the assistant should be to test the coolies' 

 knives at least 2 or 3 times weekly. 



THE tapping knife here sliown presents many practical features 

 of construction, and the fact that it has been in use for some 



time on a large estate 

 in the Far East lends 

 interest to the device. 

 A simple, fool-proof 

 knife has been the ob- 

 ject of tapping tool in- 

 ventors, who have con- 

 sistently endeavored to 

 improve this most neces- 

 sary plantation access- 

 ory. 



As the cutting edge 

 wears away in a com- 

 paratively short time, a 

 replaceable. one-piece 

 blade is necessary, and 

 one that may not be 

 loosened and its position 

 changed at will by the 

 tapper. Referring to the drawings the fixed blade A is provided 

 with a dowel pin, and a rivet hole at its upper end is attached to 

 an ordinary wooden or metal handle. The loose blade B has two 

 holes at its lower end for the dowel pin and rivet, by which it 

 is attached to the fixed blade. The head of this rivet must be 

 filed oflf when it becomes necessary to attach a new blade. The 

 Iiandle should, with ordinary use, outwear four or five blades. 



AX IMPROVED SPOUT. 

 The ordinary latex spout is usually defective in that it may be 



driven too far into the tree, thereby causing a woody excrescence 



when the wound heals over. The spout here shown is constructed 



with a shoulder that pre- 

 vents this difficulty. The 

 shoulder slopes down- 

 ward at an angle of 45 

 degrees and has a depth 

 of 3/16 of an inch. It 

 is desirable that the end 

 of the spout should be 

 curved, and the correct 

 depth should depend on 

 the diameter of the tree, 



the angle at which it is placed and the general curve of the spout. 



When the depth of the attaching end curve is correct it will 



always enter the bark at the same depth and remain firmly in a 



correct position. 

 The tapping tool was designed by A. Bailey and the latex 



spout by Donald Knapp, both of the General Rubber Company, 



Sumatra. 



^# 





PERTTVIAN EXPORT DUTIES. 



The Peruvian government has imposed a duty of 2 centavos 

 per kilogram of rubber exported through Iquitos, and a tax of 

 20 centavos per registered ton on ships clearing from that port. 



LEAF-FALL INVESTIGATION IN MALANG. 



Investigations to discover the causes of abnormal leaf fall 

 from Hevea trees have been made at the experiment station at 

 Malang, but with no very definite results. In most cases heavy 

 rains prevailed just before such leaf fall occurred. In some in- 

 stances parasitic fungi have been found on the leaves. In 

 Malang the fungus N eozimmermannia elasticae Kds. (Gloeo- 

 sporium elasticae Massee) has been found in two cases of ab- 

 normal fall of young leaves, but artificial infection with pure 

 cultures of this fungus has thus far given no definite result. 



Dr. Arens advises that fallen leaves should be gathered at 

 once and burned on the spot. If possible the affected trees and 

 those nearby should be treated with fungicide. Trees thus 

 treated should not be tapped, as they might produce tacky rub- 

 ber because of the use of the fungicide. 



