214 PRACTICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



fresh channels have to be made, the number of channels to be made 

 on a tree will be known either by a figure stamped on the bark or 

 by the number of cuts made with a timber scribe (risser). In some 

 cases where channels are to be made on trees already bearing old 

 channels the position of the new channel or channels will be 

 indicated by cuts made parallel fro old channels with the timber 

 scribe at the points where channels are to be made. Each new 

 channel as far as possible will be put on serially round the stem 

 clock-wise or the reverse, i. e. from right to left or left to right. 

 The position of new channel on such trees must be marked at the 

 distance of 4|" bark space for the old channel, measuring at breast 

 height. In heavy tapping in regeneration areas, seed-bearers will 

 be tapped on the continuous system. For fixing the lips in the 

 first year tapping areas cut all the outer bark off the place where 

 the channel is to be placed and the pot is to hang. Then first 

 make this cut with a special curved chisel about G* above the 

 ground and sloping slightly upwards and into this fix the lip ; 

 secondly make the channel. Care must be taken that the edge of 

 the chisel is level, if the outer corners are rounded off the cut does 

 not penetrate the full depth at the ends, and the lip, when fixed, is 

 stopped by the shallow cuts at the corners, and when the channel 

 is made it will be found that the lip does not reach the bottom of 

 the channel in the middle and resin runs to waste in the gap left. 

 Worn chisels should be renovated and chisels should not be made 

 too thick or too wide. Care must be taken particularly in the first 

 year's tapping areas that the cut with the chisel does not slant too 

 much upwards, as in that case the lip when fixed does not project 

 sufficiently to run the resin into pots. About l^" above the lip the 

 channel should be started by cutting with an adza a groove about 

 6" long 3f" broad and f" deep. These full dimensions should be 

 cut as the tree reacts to the effect of the wound before freshening 

 commences, and with a very small wound a good flow of resin will 

 be retarded. In heavy tapping the channels may be cut 2" deep, 

 but this should not be done where very little bark space between 



