174 THE RUBBER TREE BOOK 



and second best late in the afternoon, and that during the heat 

 of the day yields are markedly reduced. It might also be 

 added that in the case of trees tapped during the heat of the 

 day the yields of first-quality latex fall to a minimum, as there 

 is a lot of lump rubber formed by the spontaneous coagulation 

 of the rubber in the cups and a greatly-increased proportion of 

 scrap owing to the latex drying quickly in the channels before 

 it reaches the cups. These are all matters of great importance, 

 and the efficiency of the field practice, if not up to the mark, 

 may render largely nugatory the efforts of a really good factory 

 manager to raise to a high level the proportions of first-grade 

 latex rubber turned out from the factory and very materially 

 increase the proportions of the lower grades at the expense of 

 the first quality. It is then the duty and ought to be the 

 special care of a good manager to see that such matters are well 

 regulated and that all sections of the estate work are carried 

 out harmoniously to the best advantage. 



These points, it is to be feared, are lost sight of by many 

 really excellent hard-working managers. They are items, 

 however, which cannot be neglected without the efficient 

 working of estates suffering. 



As already stated an assistant ought to be set apart to con- 

 tinually and vigilantly superintend the tapping on every 250 

 acres of rubber in bearing. This is the practice of several of 

 the best estates. Two hundred and fifty acres are as much as 

 one man can well superintend. Wherever a tree is found to 

 be wounded it should be at once marked with a blue pencil, 

 and the coolie who did the tapping should be warned for first 

 offences and fined for any subsequent carelessness. 



Yields of latex from Heveas are much heavier in the months 

 of August, September, October, November, December and 

 January than in any of the other months of the year. Thus, 

 if a certain area in bearing is yielding at the rate of 5000 Ibs. 

 per month in April, May or June, it will be reasonable to expect 

 an output of 7000 to 7500 Ibs. per month from the same area 

 in the later months of the year. The reason of this is not so 

 much on account of any increased girth the trees may have 

 attained, as from the fact that after the period of rest from the 

 activities of growth during wintering and consequent recupera- 

 tion the trees start off again with renewed vigour and vitality. 



