( 10 ) 
placed under them; and a great deal could not he 
extracted and was left in the bark. The process 
was most wasteful and greatly reduced the supply 
of gutta percha trees. The only good thing to be 
said for this method was that small trees, under 
six inches in diameter, were left, because it was not 
considered profitable to collect from them. The use 
of this method of collecting has, for many years, 
been forbidden in the Federated Malay States, except 
on land which was shortly to be alienated. It has, 
however, been practised in many of the other parts 
of the range of the species and the native collector 
is very much inclined to collect in this way, unless 
he is closely supervised. The gutta secured by the 
old method is often adulterated with the sap from 
other plants, or has sticks, stones, or bark placed 
in it to increase its bulk. This prevalent practice 
has made it necessary to inspect rigidly all gutta 
products brought into Singapore, and an extensive 
business in the purification and preparation of gutta 
for export has developed there. 
2. Tapping. 
Various methods of tapping have been tried. 
The one which has been most fully described is the 
following: — “A ladder consisting of a single pole 
with cross pieces, is lashed to the trunk of the tree. 
Cuts are made into the bark at an angle of 45° to 
the axis of the tree over the whole stem and on 
the main branches. Any number of these cuts may 
be joined by a vertical cut: this is a matter of 
convenience on each individual tree. Hitherto cuts 
have been made at intervals of from 8 to 12 inches 
on two sides of the tree, the cuts being so arranged 
as to leave a strip of untapped bark on either side 
