292 



one inch of bark : most of this tapping was clone with an ordinary 

 farrier's knife and some with a "safety" tapping knife, both simple 

 instruments devoid of adjusting apparatus and so "fool proof." 



The trees were tapped every alternate day for one year without any 

 rest except on such days as rain fell or the tapper was sick : they seem 

 none the worse for this treatment and have yielded 20,849 seed as 

 against 11,591 the previous year. 



Seed is harvested at Tenom from August to November and if the 

 weather is favourable, again in January and February. 



In connection with the question of seed I might here mention as 

 a matter of interest that a tree on Sapong Estate has flowered when 

 just 20 months old. 



Wounds from the " Y " tapping seem to heal much more quickly 

 and evenly than those from " half herring bone" (all were done by 

 the same coolie) probably the extra irritation from the three cuts of 

 the latter prevented the regular healing of the wounds. 



There is practically no difference in yield per tree by either method 

 of tapping but the "half herring bone" system has required the ex- 

 cision of 189 square inches of cortex for each pound of dry rubber 

 obtained whereas the "Y" system only requires the excision of 147 

 square inches to obtain the same amount. 



This year's experiment will be the comparison of 50 trees tapped 

 on the " V" system against 50 trees tapped on ""j" system. 



One hundred and fifty five (155) Para rubber trees in Government 

 experimental Gardens at Tenom were planted, not before December 

 1900 nor after July 1902 (exact date is uncertain as no records were 

 kept). The plants have been uncared for and allowed to grow as 

 they liked with the result that about one quarter of them have two or 

 three stems; this lowers considerably the average girth as in these 

 calculations each separate stem is regarded as a separate tree: even 

 then we get an average girth at five to six and a half years old of twenty 

 one inches at three feet from the ground, and the average increase in 

 the girth during the last twelve months (ending 31st July, 1907) is 

 four and three quarter inches (Singapore Botanic Garden records an 

 average of Si inches). 



rt§ tc -o % ^ Average square inches £ £ x j> c J _ 

 % ~ - '3. & g 5 excised. H S * « » 8 % 



S O 



5 w S m 



S 



*s rt & I ? si- : l s j --■§.■ •:: = 



X 



^ * Ph a, _ _ SH 



30 24 Y S « lbs lbs. 287,4 1.64 1407 0.011 159 7,834 1 



inch. i§£! ^ W -inch. 



rt * 5 15 



30 21* Half ^| S 338.1 2.14 18'J 0.0113 158 10,141 1 



inch, herring £ a w lbg ^g, —inch, 



bone. & " M 53 y 2 b[; y 2 18 



FEANK E. LEASE, 



(N. Borneo Official Gazette June 1st, 1908.) Manager Sapong Estate. 



