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4. The side cuts must terminate at the proper margin, 

 not exceed them nor fall too short (see figs. 36^ & d.) 



A mistake which is often made on estates beginning 

 to tap is that the cuts are made longer and longer, so 

 that they exceed the marginal lines and consequently 

 encroach on the area that should belong to a subsequent 

 year's tapping. The renewed bark will accordingly have 

 to be re-tapped before a four years' interval has elapsed. 

 And again, the growth will become irregular, a fault of 

 some importance here, as the marginal lines of the tapping- 

 surface first under operation, have to be used as the 

 conductive canals of the next years' operations. If, on 

 the other hand, the cuts are made too short, the conse- 

 quences will be as already enumerated under heads 

 2 and 3. 



5. When tapping, the bark must be carefully cut 

 down until reasonably near the cambium. 



The fear of tapping too deeply sometimes leads the 

 workman into the opposite fault, i.e., not cutting deeply 

 enough into the bark, and thereby leaving untouched 

 the inner layers which are richest in latex. A good test 

 of the correct depth of the cut is to be found in the 

 colour of the exposed bark, it should show a faint greenish 

 shade. The depth may also be estimated by putting the 

 point of a sharp knife into the bottom of the cut which 

 has just been made; if any quantity of latex exudes, it 

 may be taken that the tapper has not cut deeply enough, 

 if, on the other hand, little or no latex appears, it shows 

 that the latex bearing vessels have been exhausted and 

 that the workman has gone quite as deep as is desirable. 



6. When tapping, care must be taken not to injure 

 the cambium. 



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