588 
THE TROPICAL AGEICULTtJElST. 
[March 2, 1903. 
The result was as follows:— 
Table IX, 
Shewing result o£ " wouad-eff ect " on 30 trees tapped 
on 14 occasions. 
30 trees. 1st tapping gave Average per -38 oz. 
10 oz. dry rubber. incision 
do 2nd 16i do -55 ,, 
do 3rd 26" do '86 „ 
do 4th 28i do -95 „ 
do 5th 36 do 1-2 „ 
do 6th 39i do 1.32 „ 
do 7th 37| ■ do 1 24 „ 
do 8th 404 do 1-35 „ 
do 9th 39J do 1-32 „ 
do 10th 45^ do 151 „ 
do 11th 43.^ do 145,, 
do" 12th 48 do 16,, 
do I3ih 47h do „ 
do 14th 47^ do 1-58 „ 
It will be seen from the above table that there 
was a steady increase in the flow of latex until the 
lenth renewal, and that from then until the opera- 
tion ceased the yield each day was greater than 
bad been obtained on any previous occasion. It 
should be mentioned, however, that this was only 
the case in a few trees, which gave a considerably 
increased yield on the last four occasions, and thatiu 
the majority of cases the yield fi-om the tenth to 
fourteenth day was about the same as that obtained 
between the sixth and tenth day. 
The difference in yield between the first and 
second occasion does not stand out so prominently 
in the Table as it should. This is due lo the fact 
that some of the trees had recently been experi- 
mented upon (for owing to lack of material some 
trees had to suffice for teveral experiments) so that 
what is termed a " first tapping " v.hcn made on the 
opposite side of a tree recently tapped, has often 
given a much 'arger return than a "fiist-tapping ' made 
on a hitherto iintapped tree. 
This, then, all goes to prove what was stated 
previously, that all trees are not affected to the same 
degree, and that if advantage is to be taken of the 
" wound-£ffect," the incision must be renewed at least 
eight tiroes. It might, of course, be renewed oftener 
but the result would be an ugly wound, pre-dipposing 
the tree to disease, and cannot therefore be recom- 
mended, 
(b). The length of timethat should elapse before re- 
newing the incisions. 
Here there does not appear to be the same differ- 
ence in the behaviour of trees in responding to the 
wound-effect, and it was generally found that an 
increased flow was obtainable after a lapse of twenty- 
four hours. With a view to determining whether 
any beneficial results followed by allowing the trees 
to " rest " for a few days before renewing Ihe in- 
cisions, some trees were tapped every day, others 
every third day and others at weekly intervals. 
The result of tapping 10 trees by herring-bone 
incisions on 14 consecutive days is shewn in the 
following Table. 
Table X, 
TAPPED EVERY DAY, 
Total loeii/ht of v:et rubber B5\^ou7ices, Average yield 
per tree 35''l5 ounces. 
Table XI shews the yield from 10 trees tapped on 
the same principle on 34 occasions at intervals of 
two days. Care was taken that the trees were of the 
game age and as nearly as possible of the same 
dimensions and that the incisions were exactly the 
Bame length and distance apart : each being measured 
and marked with pencil before the incision was actually 
made. 
Table XI. 
TAPPED EVERY THIRD DAY. 
Total weight of wet rMer 374 ounces. A c«rage yield 
j)er trie 37"4 ouncn 
It will be seen that the result is in favour oi th e 
trees tapped at intervals of two days to the extent of 
22| ounces of wet rubber, which is equal to about 
1 ounce of dry rubber per tree. 
The result of tapping 10 siinibr trees at weekly 
intervals is shewn in Table XII, the operations ex- 
tending over a period of five weeks. 
Table XII. 
TAPPED EVERY WEEK. 
Total v-eiqht of loet rubber 104| ounces. Average yield 
•per tree 1047 ounces. 
Time did not permit of this experiment being 
carried on longer so it will be necessary to compare 
the results with those obtained on the first six 
occasions in Tables X and XI. These are as follows : — 
00 incisions made on six consecutive days gave 99j 
ounces wet rubber. 
60 ,, at intervals of two days „ lllg 
60 ,, „ one week ,, 1041 
There does not appear therefore to be any great 
advantage by renewing the incisions at long intervals, 
and I am of opinion that the response to the wounding 
is generally, if not always, discernible after the lapse 
of a single day. Judging from the above figures 
this, at first sight, does not appear to be the ca^e 
but a peiu=al of the foregoing tables will shew that 
the smaller amount obtained from the trees tapped 
dai!y, is mainly due to the inclusion in this experi- 
ment of tree No. £0, which gavcj less than one-fifth 
the amount obtained from tree No. 2, for no apparent 
reason. This disparity in the yield of trees growing 
under the same conditions, and tapped in precisely 
the same manner, is in some instances most marked 
and demonstrates the necessity of conducting ex- 
periments over a large number of trees, if definite 
conclusions are to be arrived at. A further experi- 
ment was made in this direction ; the trees which had 
previously been tapped on six occasions at weekly 
intervals, were now tapped on six consecutive days 
on the opposite side of the trunk, the incisions 
being of the same length and distance apart as on 
the former occasions, the result being shewn iu 
Table Xm. 
[To be concluded.) 
ORANGE CULTIVATION. 
There are some orange groves planted here within 
the last four or five years in which we see illustrated 
almost every mistakes that is to be made in orange 
growing here, but which may not be mistakes else- 
where, that is, in more temperate lands, with less 
forcing soils and climate. The first, most common and 
most serious error is in the planting ; the trees have 
been planted too deeply in the soil, the roots buried 
until the earth is packed two inches up the stem above 
the neck of the tree. This is an error in tree planting 
everywhere, and we have seen it made in the north in 
forestry in the setting out of firs and in horticulture 
in the petting out of orchards of fruit trees, and 
berry bushes. It is not fatal on light sandy soils, and 
the trees grow, fruit, and continue to give returns, but 
they never make a quick, large, or robust growth and 
are always much subject to the many troubles that 
affeot plants. On heavy soils deep planting is fatal to 
profit. In our forcing climate and heavy rich soils, 
where weeds grow rapidly and luxuriously, and there is 
need of constant hoeing, trees are better planted 
even higher out of the soil than ever we had experience 
of before, because, — 1st, on accounts of the heavy 
rains that beat upon the soil, and pack it tight, so 
that if the earth ia packed high round the stems the 
roots are choked, whereas if the neck is clear of the 
earth with the top main roots running close to the 
surface, the water running down the stem, sinks ia 
and follows the interstices, along the roots ; thus air, 
moisture, and drainage pass continually through the 
soil to every root and rootlet ; 2nd, to allow for the 
constant hoeing of weeds ; in doing this there is a 
continual drawing away of soil along with the weedsi 
