AGKICU LT URAL BULL ET I N 



OF [HE 



STRAITS 



AND 



K E D E R A T E L) M A L A V S T A T E S . 



No. 5.] MAY, 1904. [Vol. II!. Pari I . 



TAPPING SCARS IN OLD WOOD. 



Plate 5. 



One ol the oldest Para rubber trees in llie Botanic Gardens, 

 Singapore, was recently blown down in a gale and on being cut up 

 for removal it was found to bear in the interior distinct marks of 

 previous tappings in the herring-bone manner. The tree itsell 

 had a diameter of 17 inches and was planted in 1XS4. The annual 

 rings are mostly rather difficult to make out, but some are fairl) 

 conspicuous. They are very irregular in breadth and distance apart, 

 but twenty-seven can be made out. If these rings represent years, 

 the tree must have been raised from seed in 1876, and transferred 

 to the Economic Gardens in 1884. 



The stem bears the marks ol two herring-bone tappings on dif- 

 ferent sides of the tree and at different dates. The earliest is five 

 inches from the centre when judging from the rings it was about 

 18 years old, and this scar was covered by 4 inches of sound wood. 

 The marks are quite clear, and when fresh were of a reddish brow n 

 colour, standing out clearly against the white wood. The wood 

 of Para rubber trees is when quite freshly cut white, but on expo- 

 sure it becomes of a light reddish brown. 



There is no sign of any injury to the surrounding wood which 

 however, it was noticed was a little harder. The rings of wood 

 formed after the wound healed were broad and sound showing no 

 signs of any check to the growth of the tree. On some of the lateral 

 cuts, knots of harder wood were found, evidently due to suppressed 

 buds. The development of these oval or globular balls of wood 

 on the lower edge of a deep cut are doubtless well known to many 

 planters. 



The centre of the trunk showed signs of decay especially at the 

 base, but this had nothing to do with any tapping cuts, from the 

 appearance of which it was clear that absolutely no injury had 

 § been caused to the tret:. The tree had also been tapped w ith th<- 

 'short single cuts during the past year and these made no trace o\ 

 any kind on the wood. 



