RUBBER PLANTING 151 



edge of a metal collecting cup into the bark at each 

 day's tapping may lead to injury, and is not to be 

 encouraged. 



In all operations dealing with latex the utmost 

 attention must be paid to the virtue of cleanliness. 

 Latex is as easily contaminated as milk, a substance 

 with which it has many properties in common. Not 

 only should the standard of cleanliness in the factory 

 be at least equal to that adopted in an up-to-date dairy, 

 but the avoidance of all kinds of dirt should begin from 

 the moment when the latex first makes its appearance 

 upon the surface of the tree. Collecting cups, paring 

 knives, and the bark itself should all be kept scrupulously 

 clean. All scrap should be carefully removed from the 

 tree before paring commences. In order to save the 

 precious hours of the early morning, this may very 

 well be done during the afternoon of the day before 

 tapping. 



Plantation Yields. 



Finally, some idea may be given of the actual yields 

 of rubber obtained upon estates. The amounts recorded 

 vary very largely on different properties, but the follow- 

 ing figures may be taken as representing approximately 

 the average yields obtained with moderate systems 

 of tapping in Ceylon and the Malay Peninsula 

 respectively. 



