14 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VI 
(c) Freshing should be undertaken every 4th or 5th day, and 
should consist in removing a thin shaving of \ inch to 
1 inch of new bark from the upper edge of the original 
belt, and carrying down the freshing to within an inch of 
the lower edge. 
(d) Tapping of trees below 30 inches in girth is not advocated. 
(e) If, after the initial tapping and after the first freshing has 
taken place, individual trees yield little gum-oleo-resin, 
they should be excluded from the operations. 
(/) The effect of tapping on the trees need cause no serious appre¬ 
hension. 
(g) Taking into consideration the number of trees available for 
tapping in certain localities, together with the yield per 
tree, the outturn is sufficient to justify the erection of a 
plant working on commercial lines. 
4. Cost op Extraction and Outturn. 
(i) Cost of Extraction. 
To arrive at a definite figure of cost of extraction by carrying out 
experiments is not possible. Various estimates have been framed by 
the officers who have carried out some of the experiments, amongst 
which the following may be cited :— 
Mr. Benskin sees no reason why the gum-oleo-resin could not be 
collected at from 1 to 1^- annas per lb. or Rs. 5 to Rs. 7-8 per maund. 
Mr. Starte found that a Bhil could collect the drip from, and fresh 
the wounds of, 50 trees per day ; assuming that they got 4 annas per day 
and only tapped trees of over 36 inches girth, then the cost in the forest 
per maund would be — ^°+*° ==Rs. 4-3 exclusive of royalty.* 
Both the above estimates are based on knowledge gained while carry¬ 
ing out experiments, with unskilled labour and under entirely new 
conditions. In the Sheopur Range of Gwalior, where the labour is used 
to the work, the gum-oleo-resin was purchased by the Forest Depart¬ 
ment at Rs. 3 per maund, where labour is available at 3 annas a day, 
so that Mr. Starte’s estimate where labour is paid 4 annas per day is 
probably somewhere near the mark. Were the tapping operations 
extended over large areas, there can be no doubt that though super¬ 
vision would fall per unit and experience result in more economic methods 
■of working, the price of collection would rise, if for no other reason than 
that the lead would be increased, so that probably somewhere about 
Rs. 5 per maund should be taken as the figure on which to base calcula¬ 
tions of working. 
* Xotb I.—By including all trees down to 30" girth the cost of collection will be slightly increased. 
[ 316 ] 
