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of this kind. After all, it is in their own interest to find out which 

 of the tapping systems are advantageous, and which are not. I 

 feel convinced that more minute investigations in the directions 

 given, if entrusted to the right people, will very shortly increase 

 greatly our knowledge of the merits of the various tapping methods. 

 These investigations possess one advantage over many others, 

 in that they do not require new experiments, which might take up 

 years, but that they can be made on any plantations, where tapping 

 has been carried on for a longer or shorter period, so long as 

 the planter is in a position to furnish exact particulars as to the 

 dates of tapping, and the length and duration of the tapping 

 periods. 



