and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



77 



THE NEW TAPPING SYSTEM. 



FRESH SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION 

 WANTED. 



When the new tapping system was first an- 

 nounced, it was (as is stated again in a special 

 article in the London Times of May 21st) for- 

 tified by a favourable report from Dr. Willis, 

 Director of the Botanic Gardens. That was 

 in November last year, eight months ago ; but 

 on the recommendation given by Dr. Willis 

 there was not anything like full scientific 

 testimony to its effects ; and even if it had 

 been given, it might have been open to the 

 criticism that the system had not been in 

 use sufficiently long for the chief points about 

 it to receive authoritative commendation. 

 For a few months all went swimmingly and a 

 large number of Ceylon rubber estates paid 

 their R500, which, it may be remembered, was to 

 be repaid to the estate experimenting if the 

 method failed in the advantages claimed ; we 

 heard, not long ago, of a cheque for as much as 

 R18,000 being signed by a prominent visiting- 

 agent on behalf of some 36 estates. But since 

 then a defect was brought to our notice which 

 was said to have arisen from the employment of 

 the new system, namely, the formation of co- 

 agulated rubber pads between the cortex and 

 the cambium which would eventually rot whole 

 trees. Following on this discovery we under- 

 stand that a number of estates under one 

 agency were instructed to give up the new tap- 

 ping system and return to the old use of the 

 knife and the paring that follows it. There 

 have not been many expressions of opinion in 

 favour of the system since the announcement 

 of the discovery ; and no doubt those who have 

 been satisfied with their first results of pricking, 

 &c, have not wished to commit themselves be- 

 fore they had endeavoured to trace any similar 



Ehenomenon on their own property. Now, 

 owever, we have a letter from a well-known 

 Ratnapura planter, "P. D. G,," who comes for- 

 ward with a thoroughly practical suggestion, 

 pointing out that it is in vain to argue the 

 merits or demerits of the Northway system, 

 from the striking discoveries which received 

 prominence in our columns. On Deviturai 

 estate itself the thing is demonstrated, for 

 those who wish to pay the fee, in a thoroughly 

 practical way by Mr Northway himself, even 

 to the showing of sections of the bark bearing 

 the results of the system on trees previously 

 tapped, and in view of the strong faith that is felt 

 in the system by the true believers we cordially 

 support the suggestion that it is time the scienti- 

 fic department at Peradeniya went thoroughly 

 into the system and made investigations of a 

 much wider and more exhaustive naturo than Dr 

 Willis, as far as we know, made before he went 

 home on leave. If Messrs R H Lock, Acting 

 Director, and T Petch, the Mycologist, could 

 meet Messrs Northway, W Forsythe and C O 

 Macadam, a very valuable report might be ob- 

 tained. This report, however, should not be 

 confined, we consider, to the show plaoe of the 

 system, Deviturai Estate ; but should also in- 

 clude a visit to some properties where rubber 

 pads have been discovered under the bark. 

 Then if those instances wove clearly traced 



to faulty work, it is possible the Agency in 

 question would, on obtaining fuller knowledge, 

 revert to the new system — ? On the other hand 

 it is equally possible that the scientists from 

 Peradeniya might, on examining the trees at De- 

 viturai, say that even there they had not been 

 long enough subject to the " new " tappiDg, to 

 enable a verdict that might be depended on by 

 the rubber planting community at large for a 

 long series of years to come. At any rate 

 what " P. D. G." says — that it would be aggra- 

 vating six months hence to realise the loss of 

 time incurred in arriving at the settlement of 

 the question if nothing definite were to be 

 done now — is perfectly sound ; and on this 

 score, if on no other, we trust Messrs. Lock and 

 Petch will, on their own initiative, or that of 

 the present Executive Government, arrange the 

 proposed visit at an early date and allow the 

 utmost possible time they can spare to the 

 study of a question of so great importance to 

 the second largest section of European planters 

 in the island. 



P. D. G.'s LETTER. 



Ratnapura, June 5th. 

 Dear Sir, — It would seem that we are to drift 

 along, with the advancement of the present 

 season, vainly arguing the merits and demerits 

 of the Northway System in view of one or two 

 instances of tapping which appear to have shown 

 rather poor results with damage to the tree. 

 Any one, who has visited Deviturai estate and 

 observed the thoroughly practical manner in 

 which Mr. Northway demonstrates his system 

 both in the actual process of tapping and in 

 sections of the bark as showing the after-effects 

 of the system on trees previously tapped, cannot 

 but be convinced of the efficiency of the system 

 and that at the least possible expense to the 

 tree. We have a scientific department to which 

 to apply to for guidance and I would suggest 

 that Messrs. Lock and Petch be asked to meet, 

 say, Messrs. Northway, W Forsythe, and/or J 

 P Anderson, and C O Macadam who might be 

 afforded opportunities of reporting upon those 

 trees on different properties where the system 

 has been reported to have failed, and when such 

 questions as the blistering of the bark with the 

 exudation of rubber might be traced to a cause. 

 I cannot but believe that those instances alluded 

 to above will eventually be traced to faulty work, 

 when it would indeed be aggravating to realise, 

 at the end of 6 months, the loss of time incurred 

 in arriving at a settlement of the question. 

 — Yours faithfully, 



P. D. G 



SUB-CORTICAL RUBBER PADS AND THE 

 NORTHWAY SYSTEM. 



The following letter from the inventor of the 

 new tapping system is illuminating, with re- 

 ference to specimens of bark and rubber pad 

 sent to him and reported to be the result of 

 using his method of tapping. We cannot quite 

 follow the first case : Mr. Northway first says 

 the pricker did not go through the bark at 

 all, and then says it went through the green 

 bark ; but; he does not say whether the pad 



