THE VICTORIAN WHITE ANT. 143 



Growers must not wait until their trees show indications 

 of being attacked, and it is safe to treat them at least twice 

 in a year until the time before S}>ecified shall have been 

 reached, when, in accordance with former experiences, the 

 dangerous period will have passed over. 



In treating trees in which the White Ants are supposed 

 to be concealed, the soil should be earthed up around the 

 stem to a height of, say, 4 inches above the soil. Form 

 the soil into a basin-like hollow on top, and into this pour 

 a small quantity of the material, about a small bucketful 

 to a dozen three-year-old trees. When the stuff (which 

 in the case of Quibell's mixture should be used at, say, 

 one part of the mixture to fifteen of water, less if the tree 

 be naturally tender, or less robust than other varieties of 

 the same fruits) has soaked into the soil, which in most 

 cases will happen in a few minutes, cover up the soil in 

 which the mixture has been placed, and the first dressing 

 is then done with. 



When young vines have to be dealt with, the quantity 

 used for each plant must be, of course, lessened to about 

 two-thirds of the quantity applied to apples and like trees, 

 and the proportions may also be altered to, say, 1 in 20. 



In parts of the colony where the White Ants are 

 troublesome, books and other valuables of a like material 

 should be kept in tin boxes, and in receptacles in the lids 

 of which carbolic acid on a sponge or wadding should be 

 kept, as the smell from this preparation is greatly disliked 

 by insects. 



It would seem to have been a very wise precaution on 

 the part of our Government that they now insist on the 

 timbers used in the erection of public buildings in the 

 drier parts of the colony being specially treated with the 

 "Preservative oil." This oil may be purchased in Mel- 

 bourne at Is. 6d. per gallon, each case containing eight 

 gallons of the mixture. It is hoped that with these 

 precautions, faithfully and intelligently carried out, to- 

 gether with the natural decrease in the remains of our 



