WHITE ANTS, CRICKETS, AND BLIGHT. 89 



Kerosine oil is very efficient. A little is put round the 

 stem, but it is expensive. The next best thing I know is the 

 earth oil (petroleum) from Burmah, and this is cheap enough. 

 It is thick, but used from a bottle it gets heated by the sun 

 and is then quite limpid. 



When white ants are found on a tree, a little with a small 

 brush is put on the part they have attacked. They are also 

 well shaken off, and a ring of oil is placed round the stem. 

 My experience is that they will not attack that tree again for 

 a long time. I was at first fearful that both it and the 

 kerosene (the one, I believe, is only a manufacture of the 

 other) would injure the trees, but both are safe. I strongly 

 recommend others to try it, if they doubt, on a small spot 

 only in the first instance. 



Whatever is used or whatever is done, white ants must not 

 be left to work their will in the autumn. All the trees 

 should then be examined once at least, and once again, if 

 possible, the following spring. 



Blight (a serious matter, I hear, in Cachar) I know but 

 little of. I do not remember hearing anything about it when 

 I was there, now some fourteen years ago. It is rare in the 

 Chittagong district, but I have seen one or two trees attacked 

 with it. Under its influence the young leaves get covered 

 with brown spots and shrivel. It is most destructive to the 

 yield of a garden. 



From one or two experiments made I believe pruning 

 off all the diseased branches, and scraping back the soil for a 

 space of 2 feet round the stem, so as almost to lay the 

 roots bare, will be found beneficial, but I do not speak with 

 certainty. 



All the Himalayan gardens are free from these three pests 

 detailed, except that occasionally a few crickets have been 

 seen. 



