800 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 1, 1904. 
THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN 
CEYLON. 
PAEA EDBBER CULTIVATION— TAPPING — AND THE 
MANUFACTUEE OF CRUDE ETJBBEE, 
INTTSRESTING NOTES AND OBSEBVATIONS, 
On another page this month I have given an account 
of the Fara Eubbei' tree (Hevea braziliensis) in 
Ceylon as seen and observed during a trip to the 
Kalntara district. I now make some further observ- 
ations on the cultivation of this tteo, the tapping 
methods in use, and the collecting and manufacture 
of the crude rubber in the estate factories. Some 
of these observations and remarks appear for the 
first time in print, and will, no doubt, atouse interest 
beyond the confiues of this island ; planters in other 
lands will ba interested in the methods adopted by 
planters here, and the means by which they pro- 
duce such rubber as easily commands the highest 
prices in the world's markets. The Editor will be 
glad to hear from all such any remarks they may 
have to make on Ceylon methods, and the opinions 
expressed in these paragraphs. At tha same time 
Ceylon men will be glad to have further particulars 
and the experiences of rubber planters in other lands, 
and this exchange of ideas and experiences can only 
result in mutual benefit, and the columns of the 
Tropical Agriculturist are always open to such. Agri- 
culturists ever learn by experience, and no class of 
men should be readier to give and exchange opinions ; 
and in a comparatively new product of cultivation 
where planters are moBe or less just groping their 
way out of the darkness, the free exchange of ex- 
periences will be of the greatest value. With these 
preliminary remarks I will start straightaway with 
my subject. 
THE HEVEA IN CEYLON, 
It has sometimes been stated that the rubber industry 
in Ceylon is hindered and handicapped by the 
limited area of laud available for its cultivation. 
True, we have not in this island the vast areas which 
can be cleared and planted up in the Federated 
Malay States, but at the same time the statements 
referred to have probably been made by those who 
do not know the conditions under which the hevea 
will grow and flourish. True, also, that the hevea 
in the F. M. S. is somewhat ahead of the Ceylon 
tree in girth, age for age ; but compared with heveas 
in Brazil, both Ceylon and the Straits trees are far 
ahead. A Ceylon or Straits tree of 20 years is greater 
in girth than a Brazil tree 60 years old. In the 
Straits at 20 years the tree will have a circumference 
at base of 15 feet, this is atttained by a Brazil tree 
at 50 to 70 years. The hevea will do well in the 
Western Province and the Southern Province; in 
Kurunegala, in the North-Western Province, it 
flourishes. There are flue yielding estates in the 
Central Province in the- Matale districts, and also in 
Kegalle ; ic may also be found to d6 well in Uva 
and. possibly the Eastern Province, while I believe 
there was formerly a Government plantation in the 
Trincomalee district. Then again it has been found 
to grow at a profit aa high up as 2,700 feet in 
Gampola, and we do not yet know that this is the 
limit. So that it seems probable that there are many 
thousands of acres in Ceylon where heveas could 
be grown. If the Government experiments, now being 
carried on in the North-Central Province, and others 
soon to be commenced in the Northern Province, prove 
that Para rubber can be profitably] ,;grown under 
irrigation, still further possibilities are opened up, 
and far greater areas will then be available for 
rubber growing. 
CULTIVATION. 
The hevea oertftinly dislikes wind and flourishes 
best in sheltered positions. It seems to grow in 
the roughest, rockiest situations, and to be quite at 
home among rocka and boulders in the old beds of 
. mouutaia torientst The plants are raised from seed 
which freely germinates, sown in beds in the nurseries 
raised about 3 ft., and about 4 to 6 ft. wide. The 
plants are generally put out iu holes, dug in lines 
amongst the tea or iu special rubber plantations 
when about a year old, and are known as " stumps." 
The coolies while plucking the tea often break off 
the tops of the young stumps, thereby retarding the 
growth a good deal ; and for this and other reasons 
the stumps planted among growing tea should be 
placed in the lines of the tea and not between the lines. 
TENACITY OF LIFE. 
That the hevea is a fairly hardy tree, teQaoions 
of life and well able to stand and recover from 
severe shock was instanced by a plantation on 
Putnpaula estate. In burning off the juni^le for a 
further rubber clearing close to a plantation 
of trees already being tapped, sufficient care was 
not taken by the coolies, and trees along the edge 
of the plantations were badly burned and scorched. 
They seemed to suffer badly at first, but when I 
saw them some time after they appeared to have 
quite recovered from the shock ; on the side 
immediately facing the fire the lower branches 
had been damaged, but on the other side and above 
the trees were again covered with plentiful green 
foliage. I WAS told of another estate where this had 
occurred, and the trees there also were recovering 
well. So that once the trees are established they 
appear to be able to stand a lot of rough usage, 
THE TAPPING OPEnATION. 
The age at which tapping should be commenced 
is now generally consiiored to be 7 years. Rabber- 
producing latex is yielded some time before this, 
but the strain on the young tree, coupled with the 
fact that the maturer trees' latex is far richer in 
rubber, makes the older age preferable. The bark of 
the tree is rough and thick, and before tapping is 
commenced the outer bavk must be shaved oS. There 
are several reasons for this preparatory 
SHAVING OF THE TEUNK, 
With the rough bark on it is more difficult to 
make a proper incision for tapping and harder to 
fix the cups. If tapping were carried out on unshaved 
trees much latex would be lost on the rough bark 
or only result ia "Dirty Scrap." But the main 
reason for shaving is that it increases the flow of 
latex. The exact use of the latex to the tree is not 
yet known, but this result of shaving indicates that 
one of its uses is to heal up wounds and renew 
bark. For some reason or other the shaving greatly 
increases the quantity of latex in the tissues imme- 
diately below the shaved portion, and this result is 
found even if only a small portion of the trunk is 
shaved. Shaving seems to have an irritating influence 
on the latex, drawing a great qnantity of it into 
the laticiferous cells immediately above the shaved 
portion. The tree to be tapped is shaved over the 
tapping surface about two weeks before tapping is 
to commence. On some estates the whole trunk, 
from base to some 6 ft, up, is shaved ; other planters 
hold that it is better to shave juSt those parts where 
the incisiobs are to be made; but this, of course, 
depends to some extent upon the system of tapping 
to be adopted, and is a subject for much experiment. 
VAEIOUS TAPPING METHODS. 
Various tapping methods are in use on different 
estates. On Kepytigalla estate a system of large 
V shaped cuts is iu favour, as D in the figure. The cuts 
are about 8 to 10 inches in le)igth, and this method is 
highly recommended by Mons. Collet. The herring- 
bone system seems not to be in favour iu Ceylon, a 
series of small V cuts being given the preference 
(see B in fig.). Another kind of cut seen on one 
estate is a twisted cut starting at a point and 
half encircling the tree, being in all about 24 inches 
long (as C iu fig.) ; but this plan of tapping is 
not continued. On two leading rubber estates the 
method adopted is what, for want of a better 
name I will term the " zig-za? " system. (E in fig.) It 
consists of a cut 6 in. long at en angle of 45" with 
