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But if the tree is much gnarled from tapping, whether it grows in the 

 rich sludge of the gapo or dry land, many of the cups will be found to 

 contain only about a tablespoonful of milk, and sometimes hardly that. 

 On the following morning the operation is performed in the same wjy, 

 only that the cuts or gashes beneath which the cups are placed are 

 made from six to eight inches lower down the trunks than those of the 

 previous dav. Thus each day brings the cups gradually lower until the 

 ground is reached. The collector then begins as high as he can reach, 

 and descends as before, taking care however, to make his cuts in separate 

 places from those previously made. If the yield of milk from a tree is 

 great, two rows of cups are put on at once, the one as high as can be 

 reached, and the other at the surface or the ground, and in the course of 

 working, the upper row descending daily six or seven inches, while the 

 lower ones ascend the same distance, both rows in a few days come to- 

 gether. When the produce of milk diminishes in long-wrought trees, 

 two or three cups are put on various parts of the trunk where the bark 

 is thickest. Although many of the trees of this class are large, the 

 quantity of milk obtained is surprisingly little. This state of things is 

 not the result of overtapping, as some have stated. Indeed I do not 

 believe it is possible to overtap a tree if in the operation the wood is not 

 left bare or injured. But at every stroke the collector's axe enters the 

 wood and the energies of the tree are required in forming new layers 

 to cover these numerous wounds, The best milk-yielding tree I ex- 

 amined had the marks of twelve rows of cups which had already been 

 put on this season. The rows were only six inches apart, and in each 

 row there were six cups, so that the total number of wood cuts within 

 the space of three months amounted to seventy-two. It grew close to 

 a gapo only eight inches above high -tide mark, and being a vigorous 

 tree the cups were usually filled, but with two years or so of such treat- 

 ment the tree would probably be permanently injured. It has been sup- 

 posed that the quality of the milk is better in the dry seas n than during 

 the rains. Such is the case with some vegetable products, but as regards 

 India-rubber there ought not, I think, to be any appreciable difference. 

 In the rainy season the milk probably contains a greater portion of water, 

 but on the other hand, I am of opinion that then a larger quantity of 

 milk flows from the tree. No doubt the dry season is the most suitable 

 for caoutchouc collecting, although wherever a plantation is formed with 

 preparing-house convenient, tapping may certainly be carried on when 

 the weather is fine." — 



_ " Collection of the Milk. — Going from tree to tree at a sort of run- 

 ning pace, the collector empties the contents of the cups into a large 

 calabash, which he carries in his hand. As he pours the milk out of each 

 cup he draws his thumb or fore-finger over the bottom to clean out some 

 which otherwise would adhere. Indeed, a small quantity does remain, 

 which is afterwards pulled off and classed as sernamby. The cups on 

 being emptied are laid in a little heap at the base of each tree, to be 

 ready for the following morning. The trees occur at various distances 

 from 10 to 100 yards apart, and as I travelled over the intricate net- 

 work of muddy footpaths, I continually felt perplexed and surprised 

 that the natives have not yet seen the advantages that would be derived 

 by forming plantations, whereby more than twice the quantity of 



