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the year we have more or less dry weather. Now that is what 

 Ceara seems to like very much indeed. Our tapping season 

 is, as a rule, in the normal season, divided into the two different 

 periods of the year following the two rains. Under other con- 

 ditions I should not expect Ceara to be a success, and from 

 what I nave heard I certainly should not expect it to be a 

 success either in Nyasaland or in Uganda. 



The PRESIDENT : Perhaps Mr. Anstead would kindly tell us 

 if these districts which are so successful for Ceara are suitable 

 for Hevea. Have you been trying it under the same climatic 

 conditions as those under which Hevea would succeed? 



Mr. ANSTEAD : No ; we only grow Ceara in Southern India 

 at high elevations where Hevea would be impossible. That is 

 why we are anxious to push on with Ceara, because we can 

 grow it and get rubber in districts where we could not possibly 

 grow Hevea. 



Mr. SIMPSON : I think Mr. Anstead' s paper is a very interest- 

 ing one. I noticed in the abstract he says, " It is not recom- 

 mended to grow Ceara in preference to Hevea rubber in dis- 

 tricts suited to the latter"; and that is exactly the condition 

 of things in Uganda. The Ceara rubber we do get is very 

 good rubber, and there is no difficulty in selling it, as manu- 

 facturers seem to like it. But we cannot get the yield we 

 want, and our position is this : If we can grow a rubber which 

 gives a better yield than Ceara, what is the good of bothering 

 with Ceara? Mr. Anstead's position is this that they have an 

 area where Hevea cannot be successfully cultivated, and where 

 they want to grow some other crop. I think it is very 

 creditable to the planters of Southern India that they should 

 be making a success of Ceara rubber. 



Mr. C. E. WELLDON : I should like to ask whether after 

 continuous tapping you do not find a very considerable 

 mortality amongst your Ceara trees ? 



Mr. ANSTEAD : Not at all. We are tapping on the new plan, 

 and we find no ill-effect. We tap very carefully, and avoid 

 touching the cambium if possible. Accidental wounds are 

 treated at once with some antiseptic to keep out insects and 

 fungi, and under those conditions we have no difficulty 

 whatever. 



Mr. WELLDON : Do you not touch the cambium when doing 

 vertical cuts ? 



Mr. ANSTEAD : No, you tap just so that you do not. 



Mr. SIMPSON : What kind of instrument do you use ? 



Mr. ANSTEAD : It is like an inverted V made slightly round, 

 or an ordinary farrier's knife with one of the edges kept very 

 sharp. As a matter of fact it does not matter about the knife 

 itself; it is the man behind the knife. 



