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there between the places which have been systematically 

 worked. If the tapping lines are not set out exactly and 

 if care is not taken that the tapping- is not done accurately 

 along the lines which have been set out, then, between 

 the places which have been tapped, here and there some 

 patches- of bark will remain uncut. Firstly, this means 

 a loss in production - - the latex vessels on these places 

 are not open and cannot therefore, add their quota to 

 the crop, and secondly, when in due course a return is 

 made to the renewed bark, there will be no smooth 

 surface on which to apply the knife, the places which 

 have riot been cut at the previous tapping will form 

 projections and knots. 



5. The tapping system should be so chosen that it 

 does not unduly disturb the internal economy of the 

 plant, necessitating thereby an alternation of resting 

 periods for the tree. 



Various tapping systems which resulted in inter- 

 ference with the circulation of the plant have been 

 tried on estates in the Malay Peninsula and quickly 

 dropped. The spiral cut is an example. With the 

 application of this tapping system, the tree is practi- 

 cally girdled and dwindles away ; after a few months 

 the production of latex falls off, and tapping, must 

 therefore, be stopped, in order to allow the tree to 

 recover from the damage done. Common sense tells 

 us at once that such a system is to be condemned and 

 that a method whereby the crops may be obtained 

 regularly throughout the whole year, without damaging 

 the tree so seriously that it suffers under it, deserves a 

 much greater preference. 



