115 



Women and children may be employed on this job. It 

 should be noted that the operation of collecting the scrap 

 is performed easiest when it is pulled from the tree from 

 top to bottom. 



On one estate I visited, the system in use was that 

 of tapping every two days, and the scrap was gathered 

 twice ; the first time by an independent gang of coolies, 

 and the second time by the tappers themselves immediately 

 previous to making their fresh cuts. It is found that 

 plucking the scrap from the trees causes the wounds to 

 open afresh, so that a small quantity of latex is thereby 

 obtainable. If this scrap is not collected on the second 

 round, it is left on the bark and collected with the 

 shavings. By gathering the scrap twice and paying the 

 tappers separately for the amount gathered, the pro- 

 portion of bark rubber obtained on the estate I have just 

 referred to was reduced from seven or eight per cent to 

 three per cent. 



It will be found that a certain amount of latex will 

 be wasted by spilling on the soil. This cannot be helped 

 altogether and it is left to coagulate there and should 

 be gathered by another gang which goes regularly through 

 the fields for the purpose. 



3. LABOUR FORCE REQUIRED FOR TAPPING. 



In the Malay Peninsula, Tamils, and sometimes Java- 

 nese, are employed on tapping, men as well as women ; 

 occasionally also Chinese are to be found. The latter 

 can only be employed on task work, and it is stated 

 to be difficult to so arrange their work as to receive 



