A deeper or shallower cut may be made ac- 

 cording to the size of the trees which we are 

 tapping and the thickness of their bark; and 

 we can effectually guard against cutting 

 through the bark and into the wood of the 

 tree. The latex, or rubber-producing milk, 

 flows in veins in the bark only, and is entirely 

 distinct from the life sap of the tree which 

 flows between the bark and the wood. It is 

 impossible to avoid cutting into the wood when 

 the machete is used, and it is from the 

 machete's too deep cutting that injury to the 

 tree results. 



With our perfected Tapping Tool a smooth 

 continuous channel is cut across the tree's 

 trunk and a canal is made which cannot fail to 

 conduct the latex to a receptacle placed to re- 

 ceive it; while the succession of hackings 

 made with the machete are often out of line 

 and much of the latex flowing along the cuts 

 leaves the line of travel and is lost. 



An ordinary workman operating with the 

 Zacualpa Tapping Tool will tap from 50 to 80 

 trees per day; while, as already stated, a dozen 

 trees are an average day's work with the 

 machete. 



LATEX. 



The Latex, or milky juice of the bark of the 

 rubber tree, is quite distinct from the sap which 



37 



