91 



Tapping. — Almost from the beginning of the inspection work the 

 European officers have given advice to small holders all over the 

 country as to proper methods of tapping. During 1915 and 1916 

 steps were taken to train the subordinate inspecting officers in good 

 methods of tapping and advice as to reasonably conservative systems 

 of tapping allowing a satisfactory bark renewal has since been freely 

 given in all the kampongs by them. At the same time common errors 

 in tapping, resulting in waste of bark, and the serious damage done by 

 severe wounding, have been carefully pointed out. This advice was 

 most urgently requii-ed as, on the older holdings in particular, the 

 yield is often reduced to as little as 100 lbs, per acre per annum 

 owing to excessive tapping in the past which has left the trees with 

 a bark so thin that, properly speaking, it should not be tapped at 

 all. Again in many instances previous severe wounding has left the 

 surface of the bark so burred and rough that it is no longer tappable. 

 The advantage of this advice can be clearly seen in parts of Pahang 

 on small holdings which were opened in 1915 and 1916 under the 

 advice of the local sub-inspectors. These trees have not been 

 nearly so severely damaged as have those in some other parts of the 

 State where they are three or four years older. The matter of 

 giving advice as to tapping systems on small holdings is of very 

 gi-eat importance, especially in view of the very large area of young 

 rubber recently planted, which will be continuously coming into 

 be^^ring in the future especially in the years 1919 and 1920 when 

 the large plantings of the past two years will probably be opened. 

 It may be mentioned that two court cases were taken, one in Perak 

 and one in Selangor, during 1916 for failure to obey instructions to 

 improve tapping methods on certain holdings where the whole of 

 the bark had been removed practically down to the wood. It is 

 held that a large number of trees in this condition are exceptionally 

 liable to disease and might serve as a source for its rapid spread. 

 Elsewhere, however, advice on this subject has been fairly welcome 

 and has been followed fairly willingly. 



Eemoval of Dead Bvbher Wood. — The result of the Mycologist's 

 work on UstuUna zonata, the black line fungus, especially emphasized 

 the importance of removing from small holdings all dead rubber 

 wood, trunks or stumps, irrespective of whether their presence is 

 due to death from disease, damage by wind, or thinning out. Four 

 cases resulting in fines amounting to ^30 were taken in Selangor in 

 1916 in this connection. This is a point which will receive further 

 attention during the coming year. 



Black Stripe Disease. — The most recent disease found to require 

 attention in the kampongs is the " black stripe " disease of renewing 

 bark. This disease was known to occur on certain estates in Perak 

 and is now under investigation by the Mycologist who is also 

 conducting experiments to determine its control and treatment. Up 

 to the month of March last, the disease was not known definitely to 



