284 



The World's Commercial Products 



feet is adopted we get 

 135 trees to the acre, 

 whereas twenty feet by 

 twenty feet reduces the 

 number to 109. In 

 some cases it is advisa- 

 ble to plant compara- 

 tively closely, and tap 

 the trees until they 

 become crowded, and 

 then by removing the 

 worst give the others 

 room for further 

 development. 



During the first four 

 years, catch crops such 

 as ground nuts, cas- 

 sava, bananas, cotton, 

 etc., can be grown. 

 Sometimes the rubber 

 plants are set amongst 

 matured coffee (see p. 

 187) or tea, with the 

 idea of removing the 

 coffee or tea altogether 

 later on, i.e., gradually 

 transforming a tea or 

 coffee estate into a 

 rubber estate. 



Tapping. Under 

 good conditions Para 

 rubber trees are ready 

 for tapping when about 

 five years old. The old 

 method in Ceylon was 

 to make V-shaped in- 

 cisions in the tree, after 

 the bark had been care- 

 fully cleaned, and to 

 catch the latex which 

 ran out in pieces of 

 -coco-nut shells placed on the ground, matters being so arranged that the latex from several 

 Cuts formed one stream, so that about three shells caught all the produce of a medium- 

 -sized tree. The latex was allowed to remain in the shells, where it rapidly coagulated and 

 was later removed. Some of- the latex coagulated before it reached the cups, in narrow 

 -strips which were peeled off the trunk and wound up into balls of "scrap rubber." 

 *** 'As 'the result of careful experiments in" Ceylon' by Dr. J. C. Willis, the present Director 

 •of the Ceylon Botanic Gardens, and Mr. Parkin, an improved method was devised. The latex 

 from each V-shaped cut was collected ih a separate tin cup containing a little water, to keep the 

 latex liquid for a while. The diluted latex was strained and poured into shallow dishes, a small 

 •quantity of acetic acid, and creosote being usually added to assist the process of coagulation. 



By. permission of Messrs. -Mr.cl.:re;i, Shoe Lane 



vOLD TREES WHICH HAVE BEEN TAPPED BY THE SINGLE-INCISION 



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