82 MOZAMBIQUE 



to July 25, 1907, a longer period, but he tapped on 

 61 days only. 



Result. — Total dry rubber 1,235 grammes. 



Average per tree (10*78 oz.) 308 ,, 



Average per tree ijer die^n.. . 5 ,, 



The weight of latex extracted jumped from 23 

 grammes per diem the first season to 36 the second, 

 suggestive of a phenomenon corresponding to the 

 " wound response " of Hevea. This has hitherto 

 been denied Ceara, though some planters maintain 

 that Ceara rubber-trees are the better for being 

 lightly tapped when quite young, say at two years 

 old, to train them to the knife, and that trees that 

 are subject to regular tapping swell in girth where 

 the operation has been performed. 



I do not think Captain Cardozo's method of tap- 

 ping suitable for the country. It is true that to 

 obtain biscuit rubber it is necessary to collect the 

 latex in the liquid form and coagulate afterwards ; 

 but this method of extraction, involving the arrange- 

 ment of funnels and cups to prevent the escape 

 of the latex, is one difficult to teach the native 

 of East Africa ; Captain Cardozo stated that it 

 required a period of six months to teach a native 

 his system. The system of coagulating on the 

 tree offers less opportunity for the escape of the 

 latex, as it is harnessed to the tree as soon as it 



