382 
day lo day as in the case of the system of single cuts. There is 
an economy of half the cups required on the single system, but 
there the advantage over that system ceases. There is, however, the 
same objection of irregularitv and lack of adaptability to a system- 
atic working over the whole of the tapping area, of the trunk, 
together with the additional disadvantage that the apex of the V 
is a weak point where the hark and the wood are apt to be badly 
wounded. 
The three methods already described are difficult to carry out on 
a definite system in such a way that the whole of the tappable area 
shall be worked over in a definite time. They involve an excessive 
amount of scarring of an irregular kind and require too many 
cups. 
The two methods that remain to be considered are known as the 
herring bone and half herring bone. The “herring bone” is made 
as follows: — a channel is cut vertically from the base of the trunk to 
a height of two, three or four feet according to the size of the tree, 
branching from this central cut are lateral inclined cuts at regular 
distances apart and alternately placed to the right and left ot the 
central channel. The half herring bone differs from the herring 
bone in that the lateral cuts are on one side only of the central 
channel and they are usually of greater length. On reopening, the 
central vertical channel is left untouched, but the lower face of 
each lateral cut is reopened. 
The vertical channel is merely a conduit for the latex and the 
collecting cup is placed at the lower end of it. These two methods 
of tapping present some very real advantages, in the first place the 
cuts are regular in position and can be easily and systematically 
arranged and that too in such a way that the whole of the area of 
the trunk can be tapped in a definite period of time, the number of 
cups is reduced to the minimum, only one or at most two being 
required for each tree. 
If in addition a small metal spout, easily made by bending a slip 
of tinned iron, be fixed into the base of the tree at the end of the 
vertical cut, the cups need never be damaged by forcing their edges 
into the bark of the tree, but can be hung bv a peg to the tree be- 
low the spout or merely placed upon the ground. 
The central channel is never reopened nor is the spout removed 
during the whole of the time each tree is tapped and the latex is as 
clean as it is possible to have it. 
The real and material advantages are the practical economy of 
time and labour in cup fixing, collecting and washing, the saving 
in wear and tear of the cups and in the number initially required, 
and added to these are the advantages of being able to work on a 
definite system. 
It has been objected that the use of one central collecting chan- 
nel leads to more “scrap’’ rubber, on account of some of the latex 
coagulating .in that channel every day. This is certainly true, but 
