THE PARA RUBBER TREE 



133 



was 100 lb. 2 oz., equal to an average yield of 3J lb. per 

 tree. 



Tapping on a larger scale was also commenced at 

 Tarquah during 1910. 1,002 six-year-old trees, growing 

 12 by 12 ft. apart, were tapped regularly from July 28 

 to December 31, twice a week from July 28 to October 8, 

 and three times a week during the remaining period. 

 The following results were obtained : 



The tapping was continued throughout 1911, the 

 trees being tapped every alternate day except during 

 March and April. The total yield of rubber obtained 

 was 1,224:1^ lb., or nearly 1;^ lb. per tree, from seven-year- 

 old trees in ten months' tapping. 



It will be evident from these results that the Para tree 

 has given very satisfactory yields of rubber in the Gold 

 Coast. At Aburi, trees have furnished over 2 lb. of 

 rubber per tree per annum, and at Tarquah 3^ lb. of 

 rubber per tree have been obtained in a year's tapping. 

 The cultivation of Para trees in the Gold Coast therefore 

 promises to be very successful, especially in situations 

 such as Tarquah, where the conditions are favourable to 

 the growth of the trees. 



Uganda. — Series of tapping experiments have been 

 conducted on the Para trees growing at Entebbe by 

 Mr. R. Fyffe of the Forestry Department, and tlie follow- 

 ing details will be of interest : 



1. In November 1908 a seven-year-old tree (25^ in. 

 in girth) and a four-year-old tree (18^ in. in girth) were 

 tapped to a height of 6 ft., the older tree by the spu'al 

 system and the younger by herringbone incisions. The 

 trees were tapped twenty-nine times on alternate days, 

 the duration of the experiments being fifty-nine days. 

 The total yield of dry rubber obtained during this period 

 was 47 oz. from the seven-j^ear-old tree and 4-3 oz. from 

 the four-year-old tree. The younger tree gave more 



