38i 



day to day as in the case of the system of single cuts. There is 

 an economy of half the cups required on the single system, but 

 there the advantage over that system ceases. There is, however, the 

 same objection oi irregularity and lack of adaptability to a system- 

 atic working over the whole of the tapping area of the trunk, 

 together with the additional disadvantage that the apex of the V 

 is a weak point where the hark and the wood are apt to be badly 

 wounded. 



The three methods already described are difficult to carry out on 

 a definite system in such a way that the whole of the tappable area 

 shall be worked over in a definite time. They involve an excessive 

 amount of scarring of an irregular kind and require too many 

 cups. 



The two methods that remain to be considered are known as the 

 herring bone and half herring bone. The "herring bone" is made 

 as follows: — a channel is cut vertically from the base of the trunk to 

 a height of two, three or four feet according to the size of the tree, 

 branching from this central cut are lateral inclined cuts at regular 

 distances apart and alternately placed to the right and left of the 

 central channel. The half herring bone differs from the herring 

 bone in that the lateral cuts are on one side only of the central 

 channel and they are usually of greater length. On reopening, the 

 central vertical channel is left untouched, but the lower face of 

 each lateral cut is reopened. 



The vertical channel is merely a conduit for the latex and the 

 collecting cup is placed at the lower end of it. These two methods 

 of tapping present some very real advantages, in the first place the 

 cuts are regular in position and can be easily and systematically 

 arranged and that too in such a way that the whole of the area of 

 the trunk can be tapped in a definite period of time, the number of 

 cups is reduced to the minimum, only one or at most two being 

 required for each tree. 



If in addition a small metal spout, easily made by bending a slip 

 of tinned iron, be fixed into the base of the tree at the end of the 

 vertical cut, the cups need never be damaged by forcing their edges 

 into the bark of the tree, but can be hung by a peg to the tree be- 

 low the spout or merely placed upon the ground. 



The central channel is never reopened nor is the spout removed 

 during the whole of the time each tree is tapped and the latex is as 

 clean as it is possible to have it. 



The real and material advantages are the practical economy of 

 time and labour in cup fixing, collecting and washing, the saving 

 in wear and tear of the cups and in the number initially required, 

 and added to these are the advantages of being able to work on a 

 definite system. 



It has been objected that the use of one central collecting chan- 

 nel leads to more "scrap" rubber, on account of some of the latex 

 coagulating in* that channel every day. This is certainly true, but 



