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r 
phylla the shorter trunk and somewhat thinner bark than the 
Manihot dichotoma are not suitable for cutting and by this 
method yield little latex. A little earth, however, is scraped away 
from the base of the tree and the top of the taproot is exposed 
and an incision with a round pointed knife is made at or near the 
junction of tap root and trunk, and the latex flowing into this hole 
coagulates and is gathered therefrom. Often the collectors coat 
this little hole with clay to keep the rubber cleaner. Cups have 
been used but there is some difficulty in getting them into the hole 
thus made and the method is little used at present in collecting 
from the wild trees, but will doubtless be worked out on planta- 
tions. 
Yield of the Trees— This is variously stated all 'he way from 
2 l / 2 to ii pounds per year. Though of course these statements 
are made in regard to the gathering of the rubber from wild trees 
which are more or less ruthlessly tapped and especially in the case 
of the Manihot dichotoma the wood is thus often injured severely 
and the tree dies. Also it is probably wet rubber that is spoken 
of and also in some of it, especially the Manihot heptaphylla and 
pyauhyensis, there may be considerable dirt. 
Dr. Ule considers that the Manihot dichotoma has the advan- 
tage of its caoutchouc, fetching a somewhat higher price. On 
the other hand the amount produced in the other varieties is con- 
siderably greater according to him. He therefore prefers these 
latter varieties, which he considers will supplant the Ceara for 
the dry and less fertile areas where Ceara is cultivated. There 
is no doubt, however, that all of- these varieties yield more than 
the Ceara. 
Amount of Latex Collected by One Man in One Day. — This has 
been variously stated at from I to 8 or 10 pounds. Taking into 
consideration the tendency to exaggeration in regard to any new 
product and misleading methods of figuring, still it is generally 
conceded that considerably more can be collected in a day from 
these varieties than from the Ceara. 
Several thousand seeds of the Manihot dichotoma or Jiquie 
Manicoba were imported bv Mr. Jared Smith and most of the rub- 
ber plantations have obtained some of these. I have planted a few 
of these seeds. When filed they germinated in a few days and 
have grown very well, fully as well as the Ceara so far, in spite of 
the fact that this is the wrong season of the year for planting. 
The leaves have red ribs especially when looking up through the 
leaves with the sunlight shining through. Those obtained at the 
Kew Gardens had whitish green ribs which it has been suggested 
might be due to artificial cultivation there or may mean two such 
varieties have been described. Both are of about the same value 
how T ever. I intend to try watering some of these trees very heavily 
and letting others have only the rainfall which if this: dry weather 
keeps up will be a slight test as to whether it will thrive best in a 
dry or wet locality here in the Islands. 
So far I have watered all the young seedlings and they have 
