AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 9.] JUNE, 1902. [Vol. 1. 
RUBBER NOTES. 
Extract from Annual Report of R. Derry. 
Para Rubber Tapping. 
Thirty-two trees about 12 years old were tapped and 125 lbs. of 
dry rubber obtained, or nearly an average of 4 lbs. each tree. This 
tapping was carried on more to shew the method adopted than 
experiment, and was inspected by some planters in Perak, and 
from Selangor. The best flow of latex commenced in August, 
although some trees had been tried earlier. The season, however, 
with many varieties of trees shewed much variation, for instance, 
coco-nuts were flowering in September which is two, or more, 
months earlier than is usual at Kuala Kangsar. A deciduous Ficus 
which has shed its leaves in February for four consecutive years 
did so last year in December. This variation was most probably 
influenced by the dry months in the first half of the year, and the 
latex of Para Rubber undoubtedly exudes best on wet days. I 
should think the best season for tapping would be from June to 
November. 
Experimental Tapping. 
Two Para Rubber trees in Taiping garden \bout 10 years old 
and with girths of 4' 2" and 4' 7" at 3 feet from the ground were 
tapped as follows: — three sets of incisions were opened on each 
tree, and each set consisted of a centre channel about four feet 
high (from the ground) and 5 oblique cuts on each side, or 30 ob- 
lique cuts on each tree- — equal to three annual tappings in respect 
of area of trunk operated on, the three sets being placed round the 
trunk of the tree so that each set took up rather less than a third 
of the area of the trunk from the base to the height mentioned, 
vis., 4 feet. Each set of incisions was numbered and the result 
recorded, both trees being tapped alike and in the following 
manner: — 
