102 RUBBER AND 



the way of the collection of seed from particular trees, 

 except on a very small scale. On estates therefore 

 which are going in for wide extensions and are in 

 possession of old trees already in bearing, the following 

 procedure may be recommended. A few acres should 

 be set apart definitely for seed bearing, as is done for 

 example in the case of tea. All the trees on this area 

 should be tapped in the same way for a definite period 

 say for fifty tappings and a record should be kept 

 of the yield of each individual tree. All except the 

 best yielding trees should then be ruthlessly cut down 

 and the stumps extracted in order to avoid the danger 

 of root disease. Tapping should then be stopped for 

 the whole period during which seed is required. In this 

 way not more than 20 per cent, of the original trees 

 should be left standing. If the distance of planting was 

 originally 15 x 20 feet this would leave about thirty 

 trees to the acre. With closer planting the selection 

 might be still more stringent. In felling, regard should 

 be had only to yield and not to size or position. Not 

 only would such a group of seed-bearers yield a return 

 from the sale of seed to neighbouring estates, but when 

 the demand for seed is over, tapping may be resumed, 

 and it is not impossible that the yield per acre from the 

 seed-bearers will be found to be as large as or larger 

 than that from any part of the estate not planted from 

 selected seed. 



To those in charge of government plantations and 

 experiment stations a further course of selection may 



