82 
(although occasional showers and storms occur) is more pronounced 
and the rainfall less equable than the driest months in Malaya. 
Thus, the latex during this period in Brazil would contain the mini- 
mum quantity of water and in the more rarified air, or, air containing 
less water-vapour than in the rainy months, there would be less 
tendency for latex coalescing too rapidly through atmospheric condi- 
tions. 
5. The more material advantage, however, lies in the circumstance 
that trees in tropical * countries conform to their natural periodicities 
with most regularity where the dry season is sufficiently marked to 
represent a true resting period. Here in Malaya, between mid-Janu- 
ary and March on the western coast of the Peninsula — the season of 
rice harvest — there occurs a short dry season when most of the deci- 
duous trees shed their leaves and produce flowers. It is so with Hevea 
braziliensis when the conditions are normal, but when, after heavy 
rains from September to mid-January the rains still continue, then the 
rubber trees may not, or only partially defoliate and the floral 
periodicity may be scant or suppressed. The flowers too, through 
heavy rains may be poorly pollinated only, and such trees, whether 
partially defoliated or lightly pollinated, may perform their foliar 
and floral function during the following August or September f thus 
providing what is called the Spring crop of seeds, but the result is an 
irregular and uncertain crop of latex ; as a matter of fact, a wet season 
at the time of year under review is represented by the trees in every 
physiological phase common to the species at different periods instead 
of the real season (February). I believe every planter is aware that 
there is a fall off in the yield of latex at the time of trees wintering, 
and the diversity of yield in the following tabulated statements will 
be more apparent when it is reflected that every gradation of differ- 
ence may have been exhibited by the trees at the time of tapping. 
6. In table I the diversity of yield within the same group of 200 
trees during a period of 5 years is shown. The diversity of resulting 
rubber is more variable than the yield of latex. 
Table I. 
Experi- 
ment. 
No. of 
trees 
tapped. 
No. of 
times 
tapped. 
Season. 
Fluid 
ozs. c/c 
obtain- 
ed. 
Weight 
of dry 
rubber. 
Comparative 
yield of fluid 
ozs. to ozs. dry 
rubber 
advoirdupois. 
1905 
200 
25 
Oct-Nov. 
11746 
lbs. ozs. 
199 0 
3H- ozs. c/c 
1906 
200 
25 
Mar.-Apr. 
10943 
154 0 
Ais n 
1909 
200 
32 
Aug.-Sept. 
1 1323 
181 15 
t 3 it 1, 
* In all countries when the dry season is not an absolute drought, 
t It is so with other trees. 
t Reduced to 25 lappings the result would be much less favourable. 
