114 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



elusion we do not agree with, for the area tapped 

 by the herring-bone need not exceed that tapped 

 by the half herring-bone. The test of severity in 

 tapping is the area tapped, and the quantity of 

 bark excised. The most important point for the 

 planter to bear in mind is that every tapping takes 

 from the tree a certain amount of bark, and that 

 he must so regulate the rate of this removal, that 

 the period is sufficiently long to allow of new bark 

 being made as fast as the old is removed. 



To ensure this, the tree should be worked 

 systematically. It should be divided into one- 

 third or one-quarter vertical sections, and each 

 section should be made to last a year. This will 

 allow each area three or four years to perfect its 

 renewed bark before it is again required for tap- 

 ping. For the growth of the tree, a four years' 

 interval would be better than the shorter period, 

 but which system will ultimately result in most 

 Rubber being obtained over a long period is 

 unknown. The tendency nowadays is to lengthen 

 the period for bark renewal. 



From the figures given on page 24 it will be 

 noted that in all the Entebbe experiments tapping 

 to 6 ft. was carried out. In the Kivuvu experi- 



