154 
The following table shows the daily yield of latex obtained in one 
experiment designed to compare the two methods. 
Half- herring -bone Method. 
Girth of tree at 3 ft. f « . 
from ground ( ns ' 
Date 16.3.11 
Latex collected 660 cc. 
Number of trees 41 
Latex per tree 16 cc. 
18 ins. 16 ins. 
17.3. IX 16.3. Il 
730 cc. 515 cc. 
41 60 
18 cc. 8 cc. 
Full Spiral Method. 
18 in. 18 in. 16 in. 
16-3-II 17.3-II Id3.1t 
1075CC. IO45.cc 650 cc. 
34 34 60 
32 cc. 31 cc. 10 cc. 
The latex was coagulated with acetic acid, ammonia solution 
having been previously added to prevent coagulation on the cuts and 
in the collecting cups. One cubic centimetre of glacial acetic acid 
diluted with 250 cubic centimetres of water, was used to each 
litre of diluted latex. 
1 1 
The rubber was dried slowly in a cool chamber and exported in 
biscuit form. The slow drying tends to induce the growth of mould, 
and to prevent this, steps are being taken to effect the drying in a 
special drying room, after using a smoking machine. 
Experiments carried out on a small estate near the Botanic 
Station serve to indicate to what extent and in what time a Para 
rubber estate comes into bearing in the hilly districts, of Seychelles 
The estate in question contains 1,800 trees planted in 1905 and 600 
trees planted in 1907 and 1908. The soil is rocky and inferior, the 
trees overcrowded and irregularly planted 10 or 12 feet apart; yet in 
spite of these adverse conditions about 10 per cent, of the five-year-old 
trees have reached tappable size, 16 in. and over in girth at 3 
feet from the ground. On marshy land about 50 per cent, reach 
tappable size in five years. The average yield of latex, on the twenty- 
third day of tapping, from trees 18 in. in girth was 16 cc. per tree by 
the half-herring-bone method and 24 cc. by the full spiral method 
The best tree, 23 in. in girth, yielded nearly 100 cc. of latex daily 
during forty-two days, and this large yield had not decreased at the 
time the report was drawn up. 
No fungoid disease has yet appeared on the Hevea, in Seychelles, 
but as several diseases of other plants, which have spread to Hevea 
in Ceylon and other countries are present, precautions are being taken 
against infection. 
An attempt was made to introduce rubber stumps from Ceylon, 
but the experiment was not very successful. The proportion of 
plants raised from stumps in two consignments received was 30 
per cent, and 50 per cent, respectively. The number of plants 
raised from local seeds is steadily increasing, and it is anticipated 
that in two or three years it will be unnecessary to import Hevea 
seed for planting purposes 
