time and trouble are at present expended, for instance, whether it is 

 of greater advantage to tap daily or only every other day ; whether 

 downward incisions made from right to left yield more latex than 

 those from left to right ; whether it is better to make the drainage 

 canal in a straight line, or zigzag, etc. I must confess that I do 

 not look on any of these questions as of special importance. 

 It is impossible to decide them scientifically. And a decision 

 based on experiments would only be possible if these 

 experiments were not confined as heretofore to a few trees, but 

 extended to hundreds. It seems to me, however, that the solution 

 of these questions is more or less immaterial for the rational 

 working of an estate. It is much more important to proceed 

 rationally with regard to the larger issues. The small advantages, 

 that might be gained temporarily by the consideration of such 

 minor details, might be counter-balaced by small disadvantages 

 in a lesser yield, which would show themselves later on. 



Finally, I should like to mention a point which has been, 

 forced on me by the results of my experiments. It refers to the 

 estimate of profits in opening up a new estate. My opinion is, 

 that one should never reckon on average higher yields than can 

 be expected by adopting the tapping methods I have recom- 

 mended, or similar ones. 



1 S \\.irui.k, II. up in Printing Work , 



