274 



RUBBER 



about fifty trees to one acre is generally considered to be the 

 right number. 



Tapping. When the tree is about four years old, tapping 

 bagins. An incision is made in the bark lengthways (A to B) 

 and then two or three more on each side of the A-B line so 

 that the result is a kind of herring-bone pattern. 



TAPPING RUBBER TREES, latex cart on right. 



The cutting must be done very carefully, for if too deep 

 a cut is made it reaches the Cambium or living layer, and the 

 tree is injured and perhaps killed. 



A little tin cup is placed at the base of the tree, and the 

 Latex (as the juice is called) flows out from the side-cuts into 

 the vertical one, and then down into the gutter which leads 

 to the cup at the base. A cart goes round and collects 

 the latex from all the little cups and takes it to the 

 factory. 



