148 THE CEARA RUBBER TREE 



not penetrate too deeply. It is stated that a chisel-edged 

 tool is not so suitable for the purpose, as the cuts do 

 not heal so quickly as those made with a thin-bladed 

 knife. The incisions are usually made in vertical rows 

 2 to 3 in. apart. A number of different forms of thin- 

 bladed prickers are also employed for making the in- 

 cisions in place of the knife. 



The latex exudes from the cuts, and in contact with 

 the acid solution it quickly coagulates on the stem. The 

 rubber thus formed can be collected after a short interval, 

 the strips being either wound into balls or kept in the 

 form of scrap, which may be subsequently converted 

 into crepe by means of a washing machine. In some 

 cases the rubber is collected by winding the strips on a 

 wooden roUer, and then, after cuttmg the covering of 

 rubber along one side, it is stripped off and converted into 

 a flat cake by pressure. 



When the Lewa method is employed the trees may 

 be tapped at frequent intervals, and the following plan 

 is one of the systems which has been adopted in East 

 Africa. One haK of the tree is tapped every alternate 

 day for two months and the tree is then a,Uowed to rest 

 for one month ; the second hah of the tree is then 

 tapped every alternate day for two months and the tree 

 is again allowed to rest for a month ; the first half is then 

 retapped as before, and so on. Strips of untapped bark 

 from 3 to 4 in. wide are left between the two tapping areas. 



Ceara trees can be lightly tapped by the Lewa method 

 at a very early age, commencmg about the end of the 

 second year, and it has been clauned that trees thus 

 treated give better yields of latex subsequently than if 

 they are left untapped until foiu" or five years old. 



In situations where the latex of Ceara trees flows 

 more freely, the herringbone system of tapping may be 

 employed after the removal of tlie outer bark. Half 

 of the tree is usually tapped at a time to a height of 6 ft., 

 the lateral incisions being made 1 ft. apart, and the smgle 

 or double herringbone is used accordmg to the size of 

 the tree. The flow of the latex is sometimes facilitated 

 by allowing a slow stream of water containmg a little 

 ammonia to run down the incisions from drip-tms ; the 

 latex may also be prevented from coagulating in the 

 collecting cups by the addition of a little ammonia. 



