Gums, Resins. 



114 



As far as I can make out, Mi*. Golledge promptly began to tap with the 

 object of still farther weakening this maimed tree. This. I take it, is about as 

 sensible a proceeding as it would be to try to bleed a man, whose head you had 

 just cut off, and be disappointed at the result, " Who'd have thought the old man 

 had so little blood in Tiimi" Then he comes into the press, sniffing superiorly at the 

 Scientist — with his "paraphernalia "—(good word this, almost as good as that " blessed 

 word," Mesopotamia),— and vaunting his own simple apparatus the knife, the drip tin, 

 and the kerosine oil receptacle for latex — I had almost written " Paraffinolia." 



No ! No ! this want do ! Let us go through a complete series of experiments 

 on a reasonable number of trees — pollard (or thumb-nail prune) them when they 

 are young (10 to 12 ft. high) and well-feathered— and then appreciate the results. 

 Until then, let us be dumb ! Do not let us frighten ourselves with the bogie of a 

 futile result from a wrongly-conducted experiment. I hope to turn to the practical 

 aspects of thumb-nail pruning in another letter.— Yours, &c, 



POLLARD RUBBER. 



P.S.— Since writing the above, I have seen a letter from "Thumb-nailer," 

 characterised by much common sense. POLL. R. 



"POLLARD Rubber"— again returns of the attack in a smart and rather 

 caustic letter to-day. Let us suggest to him first, that Mr. Golledge was bold 

 enough to write under his own name and did not seek shelter under a nom-de- 

 plume, and that it would be fairer and more sporting il "Pollard Rubber" would 

 allow his identity to be disclosed, and not attack Mr. Golledge from under this 

 cover. Mr. Golledge wrote entirely in the interests of the planting industry of 

 Ceylon, and was careful to say nothing personal. Again, Mr. Golledge gave his 

 own practical experience, of two years' duration, of an experiment which, the 

 Observer's special article stated, had just been commenced at Henaratgoda ; he 

 was predicting the probable result of this experiment from the result of his own 

 after two years. "Pollard Rubber" is quite right when he assumes that Mr. 

 Golledge "assaulted the unfortunate specimen belou) the lateral branches, left 

 nothing but a bare, galled and bleeding stumps" (expect that such a stump bleeds 

 very little after the operation!), "Pollard Rubber" pours out his sarcasm on Mr. 

 Golledge's looking for latex from the stump ; but let him not be too rash. Precisely 

 this same experiment is now being carried on, solely as an experiment, at Henarat- 

 goda. The " 20 feet of actively-growing stem and a number of lateral branches, 

 laden with the whole crop of succulent leafage, that is the Hevea's crown of 

 glory," was sawed off the Henaratgoda tree described in our special article, 

 which induced this discussion. "Pollard Rubber" should make a trip to Hena- 

 ratgoda and see this tree for himself; he has a good " howl " in his letter to-day ; 

 but so far we think Mr. Golledge has the best of it. We shall be glad to publish 

 " Pollard Rubber" 's promised letter on the practical aspects of thumb-nail pruning, 

 It shoidd be very interesting and useful ; but we should much like it signed with 

 his own name !— Ceylon Observer. 



VI. 



Dear Sir,— I give below the results of my observations on the above subject 

 after the several letters that have appeared recently in your valuable journal :— 

 Tree No. 1,213 pollarded in May, 1903. 



Girth at 3 ft. from the base 35 inches. 

 „ ,, 1,212 unpollarded „ „ 30 „ 



„ „ 1,211 do „ „ 31 „ 



„ „ 1,337 pollarded in May, 1903 „ „ 29 



,, ,, 1,335 unpollarded ,, ,, 23J ,, 



,, ,, 1,33(5 naturally forked tree ,, ,, 30 ,, 



„ „ 627 Thumb-nail pruned in 1899 „ „ 32 



„ „ 626 Not touched „ „ 23 „ 



„ „ 625 do „ „ 25* „ 



