28 



RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 



One of the few tapping experiments extending over a series of 

 years was carried out at Heneratgoda under the late Dr. Trimen. He 

 selected a twelve-year-old tree that was 50^ inches in girth, three feet 

 from the ground. This was tapped the first, third, fifth, seventh, and 

 ninth years, the product being thirteen pounds seven ounces of dry 

 rubber. As in any of the tapping years but seventeen tappings were 

 taken, and they were well distributed through the twelve months, it 

 would seem as if the tree might just as well have been producing every 

 year instead of every other year, and that its average of one and one- 

 half pounds a year might just as well have been three pounds. 



FERAEENIYA GARDEN ENTRANCE. 



These experiments were followed by others by Director Willis, in 

 which from smaller trees he secured on an average about one-half pound 

 a tree, but where the trees were planted much more closely together. A 

 curious fact in connection with the two experiments is that, supposing 

 the Trimen trees had been tapped yearly and produced three pounds 

 each, and the Willis trees produced one-half pound each, the result 

 would mean the same production per acre, as the former stood fifty to 

 the acre, while the latter were three hundred, in either case the produc- 

 tion reaching one hundred fifty pounds per acre. 



