The “embroidery” becomes with special tools. The most usual tool of these is the tool used for the embroidery, which is a small sharp tool corrugated at the end. The embroidery becomes in the trunk of tree, where using the tool for the embroidery become small vertical sections of depth 4-5 millimetres and length 10 -15 millimetres. The elder in size and age the tree is, more sections needs to have. The embroidery becomes in the morning. The mastic congeals takes 10 - 20 days. When the process of embroidery completed, becomes its collection. When the mastic mass congeals, begins its collection using a special tool called “timitiri” or “kamotiri”. Afterwards, the mastic that congeals in the trunk of tree is collected, the teardrops as are known and the mastic that leans on tree branches. The mastic is collected and placed in small and bigger baskets. It is transported by the field with special hampers and finally it is stored in wooden boxes in cool places. After the first embroidery and collection, follows the second embroidery and collection that begins during September and ends on 15 October. The young mastic trees are less productive than the elders. For that reason, the embroideries should become in few numbers, so the tree does not be exhausted. The mastic tree is more productive when its 12-15 years old. The alternative methods for the collection of mastic aiming at the smaller cost did not have particular success, thus the mastic continuing to be collected with the traditional way. |