128 



THE PARA RUBBER TREE 



During 1910 and 1911 a series of tapping experiments 

 was conducted with Para trees growing at the Calabar 

 Gardens. Forty-five trees, eight of which were estimated 

 to be fourteen years old, and the remainder from six to 

 eight years, were tapped during two periods, June to 

 October 1910 and October 1910 to February 1911, and 

 furnished the following results : 



A second experiment was conducted at Calabar with 

 thirty-seven six-year-old trees which had an average 

 girth of 24 in. at 3 ft. The tapping was done daily for 

 thirty-six days and the following results were obtained : 



A series of tapping experiments was conducted during 

 1909 on Para trees at the Rev. J. E. Wright's plantation 

 at Orugbo. One hundred eight-year-old trees were 

 selected for trial, and were divided into two groups : (1) 

 fifty trees with an average girth of 25 in. ; and (2 ) fifty 

 trees with an average girth of 22 in. ; in addition, three 

 trees which had been tapped in August 1909 were re- 

 tapped. The experiments extended from September 19 

 to October 30, 1909, and the tappings were made on 

 alternate days, with the exception that the fifty trees of 

 the first group were tapped every day for one week. 

 The li;vlf-lu'rringbone system was (Miiploycd, the vertical 

 channel being made 6 ft. high and the lateral cuts 6 in. 



