158 THE RUBBER TREE BOOK 



under this system than in quarter-section tapping on the 

 half-herring-bone method. In the fourth year of tapping one 

 would be inevitably tapping on renewed bark only three years 

 old, and this does not commend itself to those who have seen 

 how bark is too quickly used up, even with the usual number of 

 cuts on a quarter-section of the trees. 



The number of cuts, as stated, should be limited. Where, 

 as in the Selangor district, one can often see from seven to 

 eleven cuts on a tree streaming with fresh latex, it is obvious 

 that such drastic paring away of the bark has got to be paid for 

 later on. 



It is very hard to convince most managers that they will 

 get just as large returns of latex from two or three cuts on a 

 tree as from nine or ten. Yet such is the case, and on account 

 of the smaller area of bark excised the trees will make better 

 growth. Managers are generally hard-working men, most 

 anxious to do their best for their companies. It is not because 

 they are wasteful or extravagant that they pare away the bark 

 so severely. It is simply and solely on account of their anxiety 

 to get big returns. There is a spirit of competition in this 

 matter. The monthly returns of each estate are always pub- 

 lished, and if the amount from any estate seems to lag behind 

 from any cause, whether within the control of the manager or 

 not, he naturally fears he will hear about it from his board. 



On many estates, as has been stated, tapping has for some 

 considerable time been far too severe. On well-known estates 

 one can see, or could see very recently, from seven to eleven 

 cuts on the bark of the trees, all freshly running with latex. 

 Some managers have stated as their opinion that the more one 

 cuts the more one gets, that the second-renewal bark yields 

 better than the first, and the third-renewal bark better than 

 the second. 



On this merry principle of cut and come again a good many 

 estates have been running gaily for some years past. Now 

 there is a change in the tune. To the alarm of many managers 

 the bark has refused to renew at all well. High tapping a 

 sure sign of mismanagement has been had recourse to, till 

 that device has also failed. One hears whispers of so many 

 hundreds of acres being rested on this and that plantation, and 

 those on the spot can sometimes see alternate rows in the areas 



