162 THE RUBBER TREE BOOK 



one cut, alternate sides, alternate days (two units) ; (6) two 

 cuts, full-herring-bone tapping, daily (four units); (7) two 

 cuts, full-herring-bone, alternate-day tapping (four units). 



If the table given herewith is carefully studied it will be 

 seen that the fewer the number of cuts the higher the returns 

 of latex. The best returns were given by the basal broad V, 

 daily tapping. This is a result which will no doubt astonish 

 many planters. The term basal V, though regularly used by 

 estate managers and others, is not free from objection, since, 

 in the course of continuous tapping, it may be moved up the 

 stem some distance from the base. For this reason the term 

 " broad V " is used in the text following instead of the term 

 41 basal V." The illustrations which are given here show how, 

 by means of the broad V system, the bark of the tree can be 

 divided up into sections so as to allow for six (or eight) years' 

 renewal of bark. 



While these results are most interesting, it is desirable 

 that the experiments should be continued over a very much 

 longer period. It is, however, gratifying to learn that the 

 results to date on a number of estates confirm the figures 

 given. 



One objection to broad V tapping is that it involves right 

 and left-hand paring, which is always troublesome. For this 

 reason a single half-spiral cut might be preferable. It would 

 probably yield quite as good returns of latex, and is a little less 

 likely to interfere as much with the proper growth of the tree. 

 This system is illustrated, and it will be seen that it also allows 

 for a six (or eight) years' renewal of bark. On the suggestion 

 of the writer it is at present being tried on well-known estates 

 in the Federated Malay States and Sumatra, and results will be 

 published later after a sufficient time has elapsed to admit of a 

 fair trial. 



A series of experiments recently carried out at the Govern- 

 ment Experimental Station at Heneratgoda, Ceylon, give 

 rather surprising results, which go to prove that as large a 

 yield can be obtained from a tree tapped only once a week 

 as from a similar tree tapped daily, or on alternate days, all 

 through the week. These experiments, although at first sight 

 very dissimilar to the ones narrated above, have this strong 

 feature of resemblance, that they prove that as much latex can 



