Pueblo chieftain., 1922-02-05
TAPPING RUBBER
TREE IS An ART
(Continued from Preceding Page)
Javanese women are among the best
tappers. Chinese laborers are numerous

Javanese women arc among the pest
tappers. Chinese laborers are numerous
in that section OF the country and
many find employment on the planta-
tion, but as rule ma II difficult to
perform the delicate tapping opera
tion. Javanese men are more suited to
tapping work than the Chinese but the
Jayanese women are generally con-
sidered the best OF all.
1t Is in the heavy work OF clearing
the Jungle for planting that the
Chinese are most at home. This work
is usually done by contractors who
employ Chinese to large extent The
trees and underground are usually cut
down in the wet season. the debris be-
ing piled up ready for burning when
the dry season sets in. Taking out the
stumps and diggtng drainage bitches
are counted as part OF the clearing op-
Grafton.
When the ground has Leen cleared.
the surface Is worked over a numuer
of times with q tool called q "chank-
OIL" shaped much like an adze. Then
the trees are planted in rows. usually
in the form OF small seedlings, from
100 to 200 being planted to the acre.
To keep down the weeds II ono OF
the great problems on the plantation.
In the moist. tropical regions weeds
grow At a pace that would discourage
n New England gardener. Tho custo-
mary method OF combating the weeds
is to chankol the entire plantation
once n month. In so large a plantation
as that OF the United States Rubber
company with its sever square miles
OF trees this Is a heavy expense item.
Some successful experiments have
been tried with mimosa. 4 ground
creeper that covers the surface with q
thick mat and chokes out the weeds
To combat the natural disinclinattor
Of hA M 1$ hA t@
form manual labor. practically Al
work on the plantation IL task work :
| Each worker starts off each morning
with a certain amount of work to bt
done. and as soon as no has finished
he is thru for tho day. A chankoler /.
given so many yards of surface to GOV.
er. tho Taper is assigned certain
| number of trees everything Is on the
stint basis.
This method OF allotting work ha.
| proved very satisfactory. Most OF this
workers are anxious TO gee thru 70,
the day as soon as possible and ther,
| Is an air OF hustle in the early morn.
F., ing hours. All the laborers are in tn,
| field as n rule by fve-thirtv or 81,
O'Clock and by i1:S0 the heaviest par
OF their work is done Because of tn.
tropical conditions that prevail a reg
ulation of the Dutch government IL
| Sumatra requires that an hours res
be granted tho workmen after 81,
| hours work.
The tappers are thru with thei
tapping work by noon time. The tap
per's task IL usually 450 trees. 4,
s O'Clock or $3.50 these trees have al
been tapped. and the work Of collect
| ing the latex from the cups begins
Metal milk cans are used. and wher
this work Is finished each worke
takes his cans to the collecting shed
and the latex is weighed. That end
the mornings work. In tho afternoon
there are smaller jobs to be ATTENDED
to. such as wedding. cleaning utcnsiis
and sharpening knives. By 4 o'clock II
the afternoon even the slowest work
crs have completed their tasks.
! The laborers follow the custom o
! the region In eating but two meals
day. Before starting to work or be
!, tween Jobs In the carly morning. the!