3" 



4. The incisions were made by means of a sharp pruning knife. Tapping 

 An ordinary carpenter's chisel was also tried, but the knife found implements 

 most favour with the Malays, who soon became used to the work. 



I prefer the knife to the chisel as with it a cleaner cut is made, thus 

 enabling the latex to get away freely — an important point, for if 

 impeded in its flow there is the possibility of it coagulating on the 

 wound, thus preventing a further flow. Nor does there appear to 

 be quite the same danger of cutting into the wood as with a chisel 

 and mallet, and injuring the tree. I have recently had a knife 

 made, fitted with adjustable blades, which will, I believe, when 

 perfected, considerably reduce the cost of tapping. 



5. With a view to ascertaining what part of the trunk contains Area of trunk 

 the largest amount of latex, trees were tapped at different heights, to be tapped, 

 ranging from the base of the trunk to 6 ft. up. In almost every 



case it was found that the latex flowed most freely from the lower 

 portion of the trunk. Ten trees were tapped on fourteen consecu- 

 tive days with the following results : — 



140 incisions from base to 3 ft. up gave 395^ oz. latex 



140 3 ft. to 6 ft. up gave 325! „ 



The greater exudation appears, however, to be chiefly confined 

 to the first foot of the trunk, which must therefore not be neglected 

 when tapping. 



6. An attempt was made to determine the best kind of incision Kinds of 

 to make, and trees of the same age and dimensions were tapped incisions, 

 with vertical, oblique, and double oblique (I \ V) incisions. 



Those tapped with the V-shaped incision generally gave the 

 best return. If these incisions are made above one another and 

 connected by means of a small channel, forming what is sometimes 

 known as the " herring-bone " incision, the collection of the latex 

 is simplified, but the return was found to be less favourable than 

 when V-shaped incisions were made about 2 ft. apart and extend- 

 ing over the whole area. The two lines forming the V were in 

 each case 6 in. long. 



7. The different kinds of incisions, which on the first occasion Renewal of 

 were made about J inch wide and just deep enough to cut through incisions, 

 the inner layer of bark, were renewed at regular intervals. It is im- 

 portant that full advantage be taken of what is termed the 



" wound-effect/' and this experiment was conducted, with a view 

 to ascertaining : 



(a) The number of times the incision might advantageously 

 be renewed ; 



(b) The length of time that should elapse between each 



renewal. 



The renewal is accomplished by taking off a very thin layer 

 from each side of the wound, and was carried on for a full month 

 at regular intervals, some trees being tapped every day, others 

 every second, every fourth, and every seventh day; so that while 

 some trees were tapped on thirty occasions others were only 

 tapped on four. The number of occasions it is advisable to renew 



