354 
have c gone Under’ in the struggle for existance, and the 200 which 
remain, is, I take it, the maximum number that can be grown per 
acre to maturity. 
Those figures however refer to the pine tree, ( Pinus strobus) a 
lofty tree with very narrow leaves, which do not form nearly so 
dense a canopy as the para-rubber tree, in which case I fancy still 
fewer of the original seedlings would survive the struggle. 
“The important factor in production is therefore the intensity of 
utilization of the light, and not the number of trees.” 
There remains to be considered the system of growing up to a 
certain age more trees to the acre than can possibly come to 
maturity, afterwards thinning out one tree so as to stimulate the 
growth of its. neighbour as is practised by the forester; but in the 
case of such a quick growing species as the Para rubber tree, this 
thinning out must be done at an early date, the age being dependent 
upon the number of trees planted to the acre, and it is a matter of 
doubt whether the small returns available at this stage, will com- 
pensate the planter for the expenses incurred. 
A last but by no means the least consideration is, what effect 
will the trees cut down and left in the plantation to rot have on the 
‘ white ant’ ? 
We know only too well what suitable breeding places decaying 
vegetable matter provides for the coco-nut beetle. 
RUBBER TAPPING IN THE BOTANIC 
GARDENS 
Plate 13 & 14 . 
With this number we give two plates illustrating the method 
fixing the cups for the latex of Para rubber in the Botanic Gar- 
dens" Singapore. In Plate 13, the cups are arranged in two rows 
down the trunk of one of the larger trees. The tree itself was one 
of those planted in 1884. In Plate 14 ti.c men are seen removing 
the cups from the base of a younger tree and transferring the latex 
to the coffee pot used for collecting in. Higher up on the trunk 
. are seen the tapping marks made on the previous day. The 
account of the method adopted which these photographs illustrate 
is described in Bulletin No. 2, p. 44. I he photographs were taken 
by Mr. MACHADO & C. DE AlwiS. — Editor . 
Para Rubber Tapping at Bukit Sebukor, Malacca. 
The Para Rubber trees growing at Bukit Sebukor were recently 
tapped by Mr. F. B. GaglIARDI on sixteen different occasions. 
The experiments took place between June i6ih and July 2nd last. 
Nine trees, varying in girth between 27" and 55" (average 384" (. 
were tapped, with the result that J5 Ills, of clean rubber and 3 tfis, 
