214 TlMEHRI. 
influence would be on the trees if carefully performed I 
was unable to gather much information from the col- 
lectors, but my personal observations were decidedly 
discouraging on the matter. The woodcutters and col- 
lectors say, that when done without inflicting unnecessary 
injury no permanent damage is sustained by the tree, 
and that the bark heals again in a year or two. Cases 
were mentioned to me of the first trees that were bled 
over twenty years ago which it was asserted are at the 
present time in as healthy and flourishing a state as 
could be desired. On the other hand I must say that the 
majority of the trees I saw which had been bled in years 
past were in quite the reverse state. All these, however, 
bore evidence of the most ignorant and reckless bleed- 
ing. But even with careful tapping the collectors admit 
that from three to five years must elapse before the same 
surface can be tapped again, that time being taken 
in the healing of the bark and recovery of its secretive 
functions. From what I observed, though the instances 
as I have said, presented the most unfavourable cir- 
cumstances, I am disposed to believe that the secre- 
tive functions are not recovered for many years, if ever 
fully. I tried numerous trunks that had been bled in 
past years in which the bark had more or less completely 
healed again, but in no case did the milk run in a quan- 
tity that could be collected. In fact it did not run at 
all, only watery looking drops oozed out and remained 
on the cut surface. With regard to its watery colour, I 
was informed that milk obtained in any subsequent 
tapping was not so good in quality as that obtained at 
the first. It seems clear therefore, that however carefully 
the work is done a tree will not continue to yield milk 
