TAPPING 



153 



" The latex flow and returns begin to fall off decidedly after 

 five or six months' tapping. 



" There is a further objection to this method. You cannot 

 always tap in this way. You must sooner or later divide the 

 tree into quarters." 



FIG. 39. Tapping by Broad V System, but with Two Cuts. 



Where Mr Gallagher gets his facts from is not known. 

 Considerable experience of tapping tens of thousands of trees 

 in Java, Sumatra and elsewhere directly contradicts his state- 

 ments. The trees do not grow larger above the tapping cuts 

 than they are lower down; at least such is the general ex- 

 perience. 



It is not imperative that trees must sooner or later be 



