708 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



7,000 more. Eight trees to the acre, or a proportion of between i in 

 50 to I in 100 of the other species, is considered a favorable stand. 

 The trees are usually straight, with a considerable clear length and a 

 spreading crown. The girth of mature trees varies from 7 to 14 feet 

 and large trees attain a height of from 50 to 60 feet. Foliage is shed 

 in January, at the time of flowering, and new leaves appear about the 

 middle of March. Fruit matures between Alarch and June. The wood 

 is dark red, very hard and durable. It is used for buildings, bridges, 

 and turnery. The tree is valued chiefly for its oleo-resin or varnish. 



The tapping of this tree, which is allied to the Japanese lacquer tree, 

 to obtain its oleo-resin, is done by making two notches, 8 to 10 inches 

 long and two inches deep, in the bark in the form of a "V"." A bamboo 

 cup to collect the varnish is hung at the base of the "V." The yielding 

 season extends from June to January, the best yield occurring from 

 July to October. Rains cause damage by washing away or diluting the 

 oleo-resin. A very little water will cause a reddish color which de- 

 grades the product. Three tree varieties — black, red, and white — are 

 recognized by the Burmese. These yield three grades of product, rated 

 according to their drying capacity: I, pure black (not adulterated) ; 



II, mixed black (adulterated with the ash of rice husks and concoctions 

 from the bark of Alhizzia stipulata, added to improve the color) ; and, 



III, red (adulterated and also containing water). 



The number of cups placed on a tree depends on the length of the 

 operation and the size of the trees. The notches are placed one above 

 another, as high as a man can reach ; sometimes ladders reaching to a 

 height of 30 feet are employed. After a season's tapping, the scars 

 must be left from 4 to 5 years to heal. New scars, however, can be 

 opened elsewhere on the tree, the number depending on its size. The 

 need for careful consideration of the number of blazes and the desira- 

 bility of experimental data on this subject and on the length of rest 

 periods is pointed out. It is advocated that a limit be placed on the 

 size of trees tapped, a minimum girth of four feet six inches being 

 recommended. 



The oleo-resin is said to exude from the inner bark near its contact 

 with the wood, but no discussion of the structures involved is given. 

 The bark at the base of the "V" is slightly lifted from the wood when 

 the blaze is made. Subsequent cuttings, to freshen the surfaces, make 

 the included angle less acute. According to earlier writers, the first cut 

 is left for ten days and then freshened and the cup moved up. After 

 another ten days, it is said, the scar is abandoned. The varnish exudes 

 as a thick grayish fluid, which turns brown and then jet black on ex- 



