2O 



RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 



Prior to my visits to the plantations, in talking to those who were 

 supposed to know about rubber plantations, there was a great unanimity 

 of opinion as to the profits shown. One man, not an optimist either, 

 said that in two cases he knew of, the first year's tapping had paid for 

 the whole of the the original investment, and that the second year's 

 production had shown a profit of 120 per cent. He was not quite sure 



PARA RUBBER TREES (HEVEA BRASILIEN SIS ; AT HENERAT- 

 GODA. 



[Tapping with Mallet and Chisel.] 



of the age of the trees when first tapped, but said they were certainly 

 not ten years old. 



He said that when the planters had in view any new product that 

 looked pretty good, the natives always planted a little of it, so that when 

 harvest time came, they could secure a little from their own plantation, 

 which, added to what they were able to steal from the white planters, 

 often made a very good showing. Thus they were already planting the 

 Hevea in a small way, and wouM doubtless later do more or less night 



