425 



indigo ground and partly old vegetable gardens which had become 

 overgrown with scrub. Several vacancies have occurred and on 

 the other hand many .seedlings have crept in, but taking the lot 

 as a whole (excepting the original trees) they may be said to be 

 from 19 to 20 years old, although from close planting and natural 

 seedlings which have helped to pack the ground, many of the 

 inside trees have remained almost stationary in growth for some 

 years. Under these circumstances we have endeavoured to illus- 

 trate the yield of trees by a convenient unit of standard which 

 shows the ratio of yield to every inch of girth as measured at 

 3 feet from the ground. As a matter of fact, the yield per acre for 

 a stated age, although a natural question, is a difficult one. Trees 

 of the same age vary considerably and depend on many conditions. 

 The material point is : — What is the average girth? then the yield 

 can be calculated fairly approximately. 



It should be further stated that these experiments are likely 

 to be continued over several years and many points not touched 

 on in this report have not been overlooked but crowded out in the 

 first year's work. 



At the outset, a census of nearly all the trees of or about- 

 bearing age was made and altogether 1,285 trees were registered, 

 showing age, girth at 3 feet from ground, whether previously 

 tapped or not, and description of habit of the tree. This register 

 is now important as shewing the annual increment of growth, and 

 the result of annual tappings of the same trees. 



From the register, groups of trees were selected according to 

 girth — from 1 ft. 6 in. to 5 or 6 ft., these were arranged into groups, 

 and tapped by different methods and intervals during several 

 months of the year, and the results recorded. Trial tappings 

 were made in the months of March, April, May and June but we 

 were not satisfied with the consistency or flow of latex and a 

 definite start was deferred until July. 



The arrangement of the different groups for experiment, 

 methods and periods of tapping, dry rubber obtained, and other 

 details, are best shewn in the following summarized tabulated 

 statements, details of which have been already published in the 

 Agricultural Bulletin, S.S. and F.M.S., for September and 

 November, 1904, and April and May, 1905, (.^Appendices A 

 C. and D.). We pause to mention that in these experiments, the 

 comparative yield only, by different methods of tapping, was 

 attempted and not the maximum yield. 



* Not printed. 



