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in one-fourth of the time. On the other hand, it has been found that 

 trees planted on small mounds of earth, 3 to 4 feet in height grow very 

 much better than if they are planted on ordinary level ground, and 

 this plan has therefore also been adopted, although it adds considera- 

 bly to the cost of making these plantations, but the faster growth of 

 the trees amply compensates for the higher expenditure. The 

 method of planting adopted from the beginning has been to clear 

 lines from east to west through the forest for the young trees a hun- 

 dred feet apart : the width of the lines is 40 feet, so that a broad strip 

 of forest 60 feet wide is left standing between these lines to ensure the 

 utmost amount of moisture in the atmosphere for the young rubber 

 trees. At first the lines were only cleared 20 feet broad, but it was 

 found after a few years that these closed up very soon and thus retarded 

 the growth of the young trees by shutting out the requisite amount of 

 light. However, the widening of the lines also brought about the 

 faster growth of the scrub in them, besides that of the rubber trees, 

 and more money, time, and attention has in consequence to be spent, es- 

 pecially in the rainy season, on those plantations, than had at first been 

 anticipated, but the greatest and most costly difficulty that had to be 

 overcome was the effectual protection of rubber trees against deer, 

 which during the first few years constantly bit off the young plants, 

 and, where they were not entirely ruined by this, they were so much 

 injured and retarded in growth that a considerable increase in expen- 

 diture on these plantations had to be incurred on fencing to prevent it. 

 But for the future this expenditure will not be necessary, since it has 

 been found that saplings 10 feet and more in height can be transplanted 

 without difficulty and with perfect success, and if such saplings are tied 

 firmly to stakes, the deer can do little or no damage to them." . 



Assam Rubber in Jamaica. — There area number of these trees in va- 

 rious parts of Jamaica. Mr. TV". M. Douet has extracted good rubber 

 from a tree at Sweet River, near Sav. -la-Mar, by making Y-shaped in- 

 cissions with others leading into the lowest point. He says : — " By 

 making several incisions in the roots, branches, and lower parts of the 

 trunks I have extracted 2 lbs. from a tree at one time. The juice runs 

 very slowly and hardens on the tree ; I strip it off and roll it into 

 balls. The trees are large, 12 to 15 feet in circumference and 50 to 

 60 feet high. They appear to be very old. The late Mr. H. O. Vick- 

 ers made some experiments in extracting the rubber from these trees, 

 and found that he obtained a greater flow at full moon, also during 

 rainy weather. . .The average annual rainfall for the last ten years is 64 

 inches 17 parts." 



Mr. M S. Strickland has also extracted good rubber from one of 

 these trees at Great Valley, Flint River. He writes, " The manner in 

 which the rubber is taken is a rough one ; the trunk and branches are 

 cut with a machette, a small lump of clay is taken to catch the milk 

 as it drops, and formed into a ball. But the milk can be taken by 

 cutting the tree and allowing it to drop into a calabash... The tree 

 here would not do for cocoa shade, as it branches out 5 feet from the 

 ground, and the branches are large and low. The roots run a 1< ng 

 distance, and are also very large large. The measurements are : girth 

 of trunk, 16 feet ; girth of nearest branch to ground, 8 feet. I estimate 

 the height of the tree to be 65 feet." 



