and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 371 



become after many months 7 experience, are apt 

 to cut into the cambium and wood, thereby 

 making wounds which prevent systematic tap- 

 ing of the same area for some time to come; it 

 is therefore generally dangerous to tap the bark 

 of such trees at the usual height. But the trunk 

 of a young tree is not of even thickness 

 throughout, the basal part being generally 

 larger than the rest ; the increase in size is 

 characteristic of the bark as well as the wood. 

 Hence many planters have, for some time past, 

 been doing their level best, by means of a V 

 system of tapping, to extract paying 

 quantities of rubber from the thick bark in 

 the first food of their young trees. A 

 standard size, when the first tapping of the 

 basal part only may take place, does not 

 appear to exist, each planter being usually 

 guided by the flow of latex secured from indi- 

 vidual trees. 



One correspondent writes that we may rest 

 aesured that planters will not allow any latex to 

 escape, if it is at all possible to collect it at a 

 profit, Certainly the tapping of the basal part 

 only of trees which are admittedly too thin to 

 tap at the usual height lends colour to this de- 

 claration. We do not think that any efforts 

 will be spared to secure the maximum quantity 

 of rubber from trees at all stages of their growth; 

 we are more afraid that damage may be done to 

 the young trees by thus taking advantage of a 

 difference in thickness of the bark at different 

 sections. Most investors have profited by ex- 

 perience already gained in the tapping of very 

 young plants, and are now inclined to let the 

 trees have the very best chance to develop into 

 the strongest types so that a regular output of 

 rubber can be reasonably anticipated during 

 the years to come. We have no data before us 

 which would lead us to believe that the latex at 

 the base of a 5-year-old would vanish if not im- 

 mediately collected ; we have reason to expect 

 that the latex if left alone for another year 

 will increase in quality and quantity, and this, 

 coupled with the fact that no advantage is 

 gained by placing young or even old rubber on 

 the market while the present low prices con- 

 tinue, convinces us that the young trees might 

 very well be left alone until they are a little 

 older. 



Basal Tapping. 

 Furthermore, recent investigations suggest 

 that the basal V may not be as beneficial as two 

 basal single oblique cuts on opposite sides of the 

 tree ; until this point has been definitely proved 

 t may be wiser to adopt the latter system as it 



would allow the cooly to tap areas separated 

 from each other with the maximum amount of 

 bark, and only one side need be tapped on 

 separate occasions. The basal system of tap- 

 ping is generally believed to give a better yield 

 of rubber per area of bark excised and a reduced 

 quantity of scrap than certain other systems ; 

 but if it is carried out on young trees and in any 

 way affects the growth of the plants at that age 

 we advise our planting readers to drop it. 

 We are more eager to have a regular 

 annual outturn of rubber from each tree for 

 the next twenty or thirty years than to 

 secure a small return from young and unduly 

 taxed trees. We do not want any temporary 

 relief ; we desire the planting polic to be so 

 conducted that permanency and regularity in 

 output can be guaranteed— India Rubber Journal^ 

 Feb. 10. 



SUPPRESSING WEEDS ON RUBBER 

 ESTATES. 



The opinions of many rubber planters on the 

 question of suppressing weeds have at various 

 times been laid before us, and wo must admit 

 that the subject is one which offers ample op- 

 portunity for suggestions and criticisms. The 

 home proprietor or investor knows that the only 

 real item of expense on a large rubber estate, 

 newly planted with rubber troes alone, is that 

 of weeding. An annual report just to haud gives 

 some exact information of the cost of weeding 

 on a well-known Ceylon property. The balance- 

 sheet shows that weeding has cost exactly one- 

 third of the total cost (including clearing jungle, 

 planting, and managerial salaries) of a block of 

 land opened during last year. Another list shows 

 that to weed a plot of 100 acres to the end of the 

 fifth year cost £350, while an adjacent plot of 300 

 acres cost, in weeding alone, up to the end of 

 the 6th year, over £1,600. We could quote in- 

 stances where the costs of weeding are much 

 higher, but as the preceding figures indicate 

 that considerably over £5,000 may be required 

 to weed an estate of 1,000 acres before the trees 

 are in bearing, the point does not require 

 further emphasis. The planter knows that the 

 work of weeding is one of the most difficult tasks 

 when dealing with newly-planted rubber estates. 

 If any part of the property begins to show a 

 green cover, trouble will assuredly face the 

 planter, either when dealing with his weeding 

 contractors or taking his regular survey in com- 

 pany with the visiting agent. We speak espe- 

 cially of Ceylon, where almost without excep- 

 tion European planters and visiting agents are 



