4^3 



It cannot be too strongly pointed out that too frequent or pro- 

 longed tapping is injurious and only produces inferior rubber. Even 

 so recently as the Ceylon exhibition the discussions shew that 

 planters were quite satisfied with prospective rubber crops as judged 

 by the copious flow of latex, not appreciating the fact that it is the 

 quality or ratio of caoutchouc to latex that alone constitutes the real 

 crop and rich harvest. It will be remembered that in Brazil, Rubber 

 trees are only tapped for one period of the year; doubtless owing 

 to the country being flooded. The longer interval of rest may 

 represent well matured or well oxidised caoutchouc and partly 

 explain the preference for Brazilian Rubber. 



Spiral Method of Tapping. 



This is a Ceylon invention now well known and a description of 

 the method is not needed. From the stand-point of economy of bark 

 and its renewal this method would appear to possess an advantage 

 particularly from the use of the pricking implement. It is a slow 

 method and as far as we know the gross yield of rubber or flow of 

 latex is not increased. We should like more data for comparison 

 with the herring-bone and this we expect to obtain by the time of 

 the next annual report. 



The method was alleged to be one by which tappings could be 

 carried out every alternate month and the failure in practice has 

 proved the theory wrong. How far that theory would be wrong 

 by any method we have endeavoured to explain and the following 

 result of three periods of tappings speaks for itself : — 



