90 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



and brought to the factory in a hollow bamboo, and then 

 killed in some merciful way. 



When once a Tea plant has got a stem as thick as a thick 

 pencil no cricket can hurt it. 



They are much worse in some places than others, and in 

 my experience I have found them worse on low lands. 



The white ant is a much more formidable enemy than the 

 cricket. They do (as all planters know) attack and destroy 

 living bushes.* Whether they first attack some small dead 

 portion or not is a question, but practically it does not 

 signify the least, for if they do they manage to find such in 

 about one-third of the trees in a garden. Beginning with the 

 minute dead part they kill ahead of them as they go, and will, 

 eventually, in many cases, if left alone, kill the largest trees. 



They have a formidable enemy in the small black ant 

 which exists in myriads, and kills the white ant whenever the 

 latter is not protected by the earthen tunnels he constructs. 

 In many places so great is the pest that, did this small black 

 ant not exist, I believe no Tea Garden could stand. 



From the close of the rains to the cold weather is the 

 worst time for white ants, and the time the planter should 

 guard particularly against their ravages. At that time if he 

 examines his trees closely he will very likely find white ants 

 on a quarter of the whole. 



Digging round the plant where they are disturbs their 

 runs and does much good. At the same time they should be 

 brushed off any part of the tree they have attacked, and the 

 tree should be well shaken. 



All this, however, only does temporary good, for they 

 often are found as thick as ever on the plant a week later. 



Tobacco water is beneficial, but in wet weather it is soon 

 washed off. 



* A long controversy on this point lately took place in the papers ; that is 

 to say, the point discussed was, whether white ants do or do not attack living 

 tea trees. 



