93 



areas exploited for this material along the Amazon, or anywhere else. 

 Furthermore, the product of such cultivated trees, being cleaner and 

 otherwise better prepared, has brought better prices in the markets. 



It should iH>i seem an unreasonable proposition, therefore, thai if 

 a few planted rubber trees grow well, a large number should grow 

 equally well under like circumstances, or thai if hundreds oi' trees on 

 a given estate yield at a certain rate, thousands of trees should yield 

 proportionately more. The laboratory test of the tensile strength of 

 steel suffices for estimating the dimensions necessary tor ;i gigantic 

 bridge, and what- lias been done with a handful of rubber trees is 

 possible to be multiplied with a great number, particularly since the 

 experiments with small numbers of trees have been in progress for 

 more than thirl \ years, in many localities, and all point to practically 

 the same conclusions. 



It might be added that when a new invention in rubber is made. 

 the owner of it does not wait to make and sell millions of specimens 

 before determining whether the article has merit. Generally, if one 

 or two give good results, it is assumed that all of an unlimited number 

 would do equally as well, and the cost of manufacture is figured out 

 in advance, instead of waiting until the goods are produced in great 

 quantities, and the bills for material and labour are in hand. The 

 leading planters of rubber have proceeded upon precisely similar lines 

 in setting out millions of trees, in the hope of duplicating with so 

 many the results obtained from a small number here and there in the 

 past. — Editorial India Bubber World, May 1, 1904. 



628.-THE FOWL TICK AND HUNTER ANT- 



Sometime ago, Article 331, Bulletin for April, 1900, I described 

 the ravages of the Fowl tick in our poultry yard.— (Argas, sp.) 



For the past two years no trouble of any importance has been 

 experienced from this plague. This is partly on due to the preven- 

 tive measures adopted, and partly to the assistance of our friend the 

 " Hunter Ant." 



This is a large black ant Avhich travels in large communities. 

 The appearance of a company when on a foraging expedition, as it 

 winds in serpentine form along the ground in large numbers, closely 

 resembles the movements of a snake. While travelling in this man- 

 ner, they destroy very many forms of animal and insect life, such as 

 lizards, cockroaches, spiders, and even attack large animals, such as 

 horses and cows, &c, Avhen confined in stables or other places, and 

 they enter houses and destroy every trace of insect life. In the fowl 

 house they destroy the fowl tick, and in dwelling houses where they 

 exist, individuals of the genus " Cimex" or in the vernacular 

 "B. Flats" are soon exterminated. They are thus very useful, and 

 especially so for the service they perform in the poultry houses. 



When resting, these ants assemble and hang in large clusters 

 like a swarm of bees, but seldom remain long in one place. The 

 army when on the prowl sometimes covers a length of one or two 

 hundred feet, while the breadth of the column ranges from one to 

 three or four inches. 



