66 TAPPING SYSTEMS 



adopted for young plantation Para trees which have 

 only attamed a sufficient size for tapping at the base 

 of the stem. Either an ordmary V incision, or a Y, 

 which is a V with a vertical channel below, is made at 

 the base of the stem. 



(4) Herringbone Incisions. — This system consists of a 

 series of single oblique incisions joined together at their 

 lower ends by a vertical conducting channel for the latex. 

 If the lateral incisions are all on one side of the vertical 

 channel (see fig. IV, p. 67) it is called the half- herringbone 

 system, whilst if they are on both sides (see fig. V, p. 67) 

 it is the full- or double- herringbone system. In the latter 

 case it is better to make the lateral cuts on opposite 

 sides of the vertical channel alternately, as in the figure, 

 and not at the same level, so as to avoid the formation 

 of a large wound at the junction of the three cuts. A 

 single cup placed at the base of the vertical channel collects 

 the latex from all the incisions. 



(5) Spiral Incisions. — A full spiral incision is a long 

 oblique cut which completely encircles the stem one or 

 more times according to the angle at which it is made. 

 Sometimes two or more spirals are cut on a large tree. 

 Only a single cup is required at the base of each incision 

 (see fig. VI, p. 67). The full spiral system is not usually 

 employed now on plantations. If the cuts are shorter 

 and do not encircle the entire stem, the system is spoken 

 of as the half spiral, and simply consists of a series of 

 elongated oblique cuts which each require a collecting 

 cup to be affixed at their lower end. 



(6) Horizontal Incisions. — This system is usually only 

 employed in those cases in which the latex is allowed to 

 coagulate on the stem. In tapping the Ceara tree, for 

 example, a large number of small horizontal incisions are 

 often made by stabbing the stem with the end of a thin 

 knife about 1 in. in width. 



(7) Vertical Incisions. — Long vertical incisions (see fig. 

 Ill, p. 67) have been used for tapping Funtumia elastica 

 trees in West Africa and have given very fair yields of 

 latex. Recently Bamber has suggested a method of 

 tapping Hevca trees by means of vertical incisions. 



Reopening the Incisions. — In concluding this summary 

 of the different tapping systems, mention must be made 

 of the practice of reopenmg the incisions which has been 



