124 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



from tappers on the majority of the estates, and this 

 is done with gouge, farrier's or Burgess knife, or other 

 tools constructed on like principles. 



In the Amazon Valley the incision method is 

 universal, and the implement used is the small axe 

 known as the machadinho, with which a triangular gash 

 is made. Every cut so inflicted penetrates to the 

 cambium, and in a large proportion of cases renders 

 the trees open to the ravages of the borer and white 

 ant. The result of this ruthless slashing of the trunk 

 is that in a few years the tree is covered with warts, 

 over which the bark grows very slowly, and tapping 

 becomes extremely difficult and uncertain. Sometimes 

 overhead tapping is resorted to ; more often the tree is 

 abandoned for several years, until Nature repairs the 

 damage done. The work is left entirely in the hands 

 of the ignorant freguez (collector), who cares nothing 

 about the welfare of the trees, and looks only to the 

 amount of latex he can obtain to repay him for his 

 work of collection and preparation. 



On the River Madeira a little supervision has been 

 attempted, but elsewhere the proprietors have regarded 

 with apathy in the past the practical destruction of 

 their trees, owing in great part to the fact that the 

 number untouched in the forest was so great that fresh 

 sources of supply could be opened up when those in 

 tapping became worthless. 



In the East the preparation of latex takes place in 

 systematically-arranged factories where cleanliness is 

 always kept in view. Coagulation is attained generally 

 by acids, and effective machinery is employed to pre- 

 pare and dry the rubber for the market. Economy is 



