86 PARA RUBBER. 



Yields in Brazil. 



In Brazil, from a group of 120 to 180 trees, each man is expected 

 to collect about 8 to 10 litres of latex, and though this is regarded as 

 a fair average, as much as 40 litres (10 gallons) have been collected 

 from such a group in one day. Bonnechaux* states that the average 

 yield of rubber per tree, per day, is from 26 to 33 grammes, and 

 that a group of 150 trees will yield during the tapping season in each 

 year 400 to 500 kilos of caoutchouc. 



Seeligmannf states that in the Amazon valley as much as 30 c.c. 

 of milk are obtainable from single oblique incisions, the latex flow- 

 ing from one to three hours. Parkin was of the opinion that the 

 Amazon yields were far in excess of those obtainable in Ceylon, and 

 gave a modest average of 2 to 3 c.c, which might be worked up to 

 10 to 12 c.c. of latex as a yield to be expected from single oblique 

 cuts in Ceylon. 



Yields on Estates in Ceylon. 

 To form an estimate of the yield to be obtained from large 

 acreages of Para rubber trees of known age is no easy task, and 

 the best way to deal with this part of the subject is to give only 

 the results which have been obtained on rubber estates in this 

 island. 



Matale District. 



In the Matale District there are estates where an average yield 

 of f lb. of dry rubber per tree from 5,000 trees has been obtained 

 in one month's tapping. The average circumference of these 

 trees was 35 inches a yard from the ground. 



On another property a yield of3|lb. of rubber per tree has been 

 obtained from 499 trees in seven months' tapping. Another estate, 

 in the same district, has obtained an average yield of 3J lb. of dry 

 rubber per tree from 311 trees in one year. The age of these trees 

 varied from 10 to 15 years, and the trees varied in circumference 

 from 30 to 70 inches at a yard from the ground. These trees were 

 tapped on the full herring-bone system ; the tapping area covered 

 half the tree and extended from the base to a height of seven feet. 

 The tapping was done very carefully, the distance of seven feet being 

 worked through in 240 days of continuous tapping. The yield 

 from these particular trees will probably be increased by a change 

 in the method of tapping and tapping instruments during the 

 current year. 



On a third Matale estate the Para rubber is interplanted among 

 cacao; the cacao is planted 12 by 12 feet and the rubber through 

 alternate lines of cacao 24 by 12 feet. By the V method of tapping 

 a yield of 3 lb. of dry rubber from each of 10,000 trees is expected 

 during the present year, the trees being 8 to 15 years old. On this 



* See Jumelle I.e. 



t Seeligmann, Caoutchouc et It* Gutta Percha, p 48. 



