4 6 3 
It cannot be too strongly pointed out that too frequent or pro- 
longed tapping is injurious and only produces inferior rubber, liven 
so recently as the Ceylon exhibition the discussions shew that 
planters were quite satisfied with prospective rubter crops as judged 
by the copious flow of latex, not appreciating the fact that it is the 
duality or ratio of caoutchouc to latex that alone constitutes the real 
crop and rich harvest, it will be remembered that in Brazil, Rubber 
trees are only tapped for one period of the year doubtless owing t 
to the country being flooded. The longer internal of rest may 
represent well matured or well oxidised caoutchouc and partly 
explain the preference for Brazilian Rubber. 
Spiral Method of Tapping. 
This is a Ceylon invention now well known and a description of 
the method is not needed. From the stand-point of economy of bark 
and its renewal this method would appear to possess an advantage 
particularly from the use of the pricking implement It is a slow 
method and as far as we know the gross yield of rubber or flow of 
latex is not increased. We should like more data for comparison 
with the herring-bone and this we expect to obtain by the time ot 
the next annual report. . , , , ■ 
The method was alleged to be one by which tappings could be 
carried out every alternate month and the failure in practice has 
proved the theory wrong. How far tlut theory would be wrong 
by -any method we have endeavoured to explain and the following 
result of three periods of tappings speaks for itself ; 
