2 4 
which will stand more expensive labour than almost any other 
tropical product, even if we had a drop of over 50 per cent, in the 
present market prices. 
In tapping a Castilla tree all the latex exudes from the wound 
in a time varying from 20 minuted to two hours. After that time 
very little latex appears. Two days after tapping all wounds are 
inspected and cleaned of scrap. If an incision has been too deep, 
penetrating into the wood, the wound is disinfected by the scrap 
collector, who for that purpose carries a brush and a can with a 
mixture, the application of which prevents fungi from getting a 
foothold. A normal wound, ^where the wood is still covered by 
cambium, heals quickly and is not, as a rule, attacked by borers or 
fungi. 
The amgpnt of latex obtained from a single tapping is so large 
that on old trees quite good-sized cups are needed. The system 
of pushing the edge erf the cup under the bark is not suitable on 
Castilla, as latex will run to waste from the wound made, and the 
hold of the bark on the rather large cups is not sufficient. They 
sometimes drop, and this must ‘be prevented. Driving nails into 
the trunk results in bad cankerous wounds, and with the system of 
tapping employed the number of nails on each trunk would- soon 
be considerable. The cup is made with one side slightly curved 
inwards to suit the trunk approximately, and from one side of the 
edge of the cup a string is led round the trunk, and with a hook 
fastened to the other side of the cup. The placing of a cup on the 
trunk is done with less manipulation than is needed to press the 
edge under the bark or dtiving in a nail and hanging a cup on this. 
The latex is emptied from the cups into small galvanized cans 
holding 2^ gallons each. These are carried to the nearest collect- 
ing dep6t, never more than 600 yards away, where the latex is 
weighea and collected into big cans, somewhat like the large milk 
cans used in dairies. ^ From here the latex cans are transported 
on wagons to the rubber factory. All cans and cups are rinsed 
with clean water at the depdts, and at the end of the day’s work 
placed in a small shed, erected at each dep6t. Here are kept all 
the tools needed, in order to save the transportation back and 
forth every day to head-quarters. As the latex from young trees 
is very apt to coagulate before reaching the factory, a small 
amount of formaldehyde is added to each can by the foreman in 
charge of the depot, where collection has been made. One depbt 
is the central station for each series of four blocks, and thus the 
depots are placed at every second crossing along alternate avenues. 
Communication between the depbts is made easy and one assistant 
is able to supervise the work at a larger number of dep6ts, than if 
they were scattered about the plantation. In the office every 
depot is known by a number, marked on the map, and during tap- 
ping control can easily be kept of the returns from each depht. 
The rubber plantation will further be divided into four fire 
districts, each with a patrolling watchman, who by easily accessible 
field telephones can quickly report to head-quarters when necessary. 
The labourers are at present divided into two camps, one at the 
“finca” as the buildings of an estate are called in Mexico, the 
