52 GUTTA CULTIVATION. 



4"8 and 6"33 per cent, and fallen leaves 8 per cent and 8'24 

 per cent, shewing that the P. gutta is practically the richer 

 of the two. The larger per-centage in the fallen leaves is 

 attributed to the destructive action of the sun and rain upon 

 the tissues. The amount of gutta percha obtainal)le from 150 

 trees of P. gutta, nine years old, is estimated at 40 kilogrammes. 

 The gutta percha was obtained perfectly white by first treating 

 the leaves with boiling alcohol vmtil it runs off colourless, and 

 then with gasoline, boiling at 60 to 80 degrees." In the fore- 

 going extract dry leaves are evidently intended. Forty kilo- 

 grammes equals 88 pounds, and at the same price as taken 

 above this weight of gutta would be worth d£22. The amount 

 of land occupied by the 150 trees is not given, but at seventeen 

 by seventeen feet, they would just cover one acre. Taking this 

 as the area on which the trees could be grown, the return would 

 be at the rate of <£2 9s. per acre per year. 



The qiiestions which here arise are, will these gutta trees 

 stand co]ipicing, and at what age could they be cut down 

 without killing the stumps P I have often noticed trees in the 

 juugle that had been cut down and had sprouted again, up to 

 the size of three or four iiiches in diameter, but I cannot 

 remember having seen any larger ones which had survived the 

 treatment. Actual experience, however, can only solve this point, 

 though it is most probal)le that close planting and early and 

 frequent cutting would yield the largest amount of leaf from a 

 given area in a given time : the land being worked much as 1 he 

 hop -pole coppices in the south of England are managed. The 

 ol^ject of early cutting would be to get several shoots to spring 

 up from each stump which could l)e afterwards cut out one at a 

 tinu'. There would then always be sufficient leaf left on each 

 plant to keep it in a healthy condition.* 



A combination of the two systems here outlined might be 

 tried ; that is the land be closely planted up with gutta trees, a 

 certain number of which would be allowed to grow up, and 

 would be thinned out periodically as they became too crowded, 



* stool ing of Gutta Pe)'c7(rt.— The question whether the tree yielding gutta percha 

 {Dichopsis Gutta, Benth.) will produce shoots from the stump after the tree has been 

 felled is of some jiractieal imiiortanee. It appears now to have been disposed of in the 

 allirniative : — 



E.rtrnrt from letter from Director, Gardens and Forest Department. Singapore. 

 dated July "i'rd, 1897. 



"Re Prof. Ramsay's k'tter about stooling of ' fiutta percha.' Tlie tree always 

 comes up again when cut down. It cm be cut to within six inches of the ground, 

 and will then throw up shoots. Were it not for this tliere would hardly be a single 

 specimen in this country. It grows slowly in this manner, but never fails to come tip 

 again. 



It is a very tioublesome plant to propagate by cuttings, but this can be done. " 



