PARA RUBBER, 87 



estate several encouraging experiments in tapping from 6 feet up- 

 wards to a height of 15 feet have been made, light ladders being 

 used for the purpose. 



The Province, of Uva. 



The most successful results at high elevations in Ceylon have 

 probably been obtained in the Province of Uva. On Passara Group 

 estate, Passara, Para rubber is being cultivated up to and over 

 3,000 feet above sea-level. The trees are of various ages, and one 

 specimen 13 years old measures 54 inches in circumference a yard 

 from the ground, and 60 to 70 feet in height, though growing at an 

 elevation of about 2,600 feet. Tapping is being carried on with 

 promising results up to 2,800 feet, and from the trees at an elevation 

 of 2,600 feet, varying in age from 7 to 13 years, an average yield of 

 2 lb. of dry rubber per tree was obtained during 1905. These results 

 are of considerable interest and importance, and I have to thank 

 Mr. W. Stewart Taylor for the information he has given me. The 

 illustration on Plate 12, Series D, shows the rubber growing at 

 2,600 feet above sea-level. 



A considerable amount of Para rubber is likely to be planted 

 in the Badulla, Passara. Monaragala, and Bibile Districts, and in 

 many cases the altitude is considerably over 2,000 feet. 



South Ceylon : Kalutara, Ambalangoda, Eayigam, &c. 



In the South of Ceylon equally good and often better results 

 have been obtained. On one estate 8,731 trees, having a minimum 

 circumference of twenty inches , gave in one year an average of 172 

 lb. of dry rubber per tree. On the same property an average of 2 lb. 

 per tree from each of about 10,000 trees is expected during the cur- 

 rent year. There are on this estate four old trees which have given 

 10 to 25 lb. of dry rubber per tree in twelve months ; the trees are 

 perfectly healthy, and gave a good crop of sound seed during 

 1905. Further tapping has been done on these trees during 1905 

 and 1906 with excellent results. 



A section of another rubber property in the South of Ceylon has 

 given, from 11 -year-old trees, the average circumference of which is 

 30 inches only, no less than 5 J lb. of dry rubber from each of 255 

 trees. The eight largest trees on this property have yielded no less 

 than 16 lb. of dry rubber each in twelve months, and though the 

 original tapping has only just been completed the newly-formed 

 cortex has been tapped again, and gives a promise of a good flow of 

 latex in the future. These results nave been obtained by the half 

 or full spiral system of tapping. 



The quantity of rubber harvested during 1905 in the Kalutara 

 District was 101,978 lb. from 88,667 trees, which shows an average 

 of about ri51b. per tree. A large number of these trees, about 43 

 per cent., were tapped for the first time, but as nearly all the older 

 trees in the district are planted in selected spots and at great 

 distances, the Kalutara Association do not expect to see any 

 increase in the yield per tree for a considerable number of years. 



