67 



gists like Mr. GALLAGHER, this struggle has been so 

 energetically persevered with that fungus no longer 

 menaces the susceptibility to life of the culture. 



2. OTHER PESTS. 



A second and important pest is White ants. Not by 

 all kinds, but by one special variety, (termes Gestroi), 

 is the rubber infected. In young plantations the trees 

 are examined regularly; if they appear infected, then it 

 is necessary to search for the nest, and the latter must 

 be destroyed. It is not only necessary to search for 

 the queen, the whole nest must be destroyed. In older 

 plantations, (of more than six years old), these pests 

 are destroyed by means of an apparatus called the 

 "White Ant Killer", which consists of two parts, a pump 

 connected by a hose with an oven, in which a mixture 

 of sulphur and arsenic is burnt, the fumes from the oven 

 are pumped into the holes which are occupied by the 

 white ants through a second hose with a nozzle, which, 

 with the aid of some clay, is fastened hermetically to 

 the opening of the ant holes. 



As a third less important disease, should be mentioned 

 the stem disease, identical with the "Djamoer Oepas'', 

 which is to be met with on various plants in Java ; the 

 cause of this disease is not known with certainty. 



Finally, mention should be made of rats, which gnaw 

 the bark from the young trees ; this pest is to be dealt 

 with by liming the lower part of the plants. 



