RUBBER 595 



5^ oz. of dry rubber per tree in a period of sixty days' 

 tapping. 



In the same Gardens during 1912, 164 trees were tapped 

 forty-one times, and the average yield per tree of dry 

 rubber was 13 oz. The trees w r ere presumably 8 years 

 old, and the methods of tapping were various and entirely 

 experimental. 



The trees were then rested for nine months, and on 

 January i, 1913, tapping was re-started on 310 trees, 

 which up to March 31, 1913, had been tapped seventy-one 

 times. The yield of dry rubber per tree averaged 13! oz. 



Two of the trees yielded over i Ib. of dry rubber each 

 during January, but fell off considerably afterwards. 



Tapping experiments on a commercial scale were 

 carried out last year on the Kivuvu Estate, when on an 

 average 1,800 trees were tapped monthly for four months. 

 The average yield per tree for that period was 5' 13 oz. 

 of dry rubber. The trees were 5 years old, and the 

 method of tapping was one basal V cut. 



During a recent visit to this estate it was noticed that 

 the young Para trees showed no ill-effects from the 

 tapping' and were increasing in girth rapidly. 



From figures supplied by Mr. Brown, the manager, 

 it was evident that the cost of production of dry rubber 

 on this estate was under is. per Ib. 



Some natives .have small plantations of Para, and the 

 various missions cultivated 122 acres. On March 31, 

 1913, European planters had 214 acres under Para only, 

 and 2,603 acres of Para interplanted with coffee, whilst, 

 in addition, 171 acres had been interplanted with cocoa. 



During last year the acreage under Hevea has under- 

 gone great extension, as the supply of local seed is now 

 ample for the country's requirements. 



The export of cultivated rubber is still in its infancy, 

 as during 1912-13 only 4,474 Ib. were exported, and the 

 greater part of this was obtained from rubbers other 

 than Hevea brasiliensis. 



