RUBBER 



as a protection for orchard trees against the attacks of 

 rabbits. The remedy is cheap, and, as a rule, a single 

 treatment in the fall appears to protect trees for the entire 

 winter." The lime-and-sulphur mixture may be prepared 

 by boiling together 3 Ib. of quicklime, 3 Ib. of flowers of 

 sulphur, and 6 gallons of water until the amount of the 

 liquid is reduced to 2 gallons. For spraying the foliage 

 of plants this mixture is diluted with 100 parts of water, 

 but, as a protection against rats and porcupines, it should 

 be applied as a paint of about the density of whitewash. 



Rats and mice must be included in our catalogue of 

 pests, inasmuch as they occasionally dig up and carry 

 off seed in newly planted nurseries to feed upon the oily 

 kernels. They may also be troublesome in clearings 

 planted with seed at stake. Mr. R. Dupont, writing from 

 Seychelles, informs me that rats give trouble in those 

 islands by eating the bark of a considerable number of 

 seedling plants. 



Wild pig have been known to raid the nursery beds 

 for the same purpose. Both wild pig and hares are said 

 to do some damage by destroying seedlings in the neigh- 

 bourhood of jungle in Java. In places where these 

 animals are numerous extra attention must be paid to the 

 fencing. Barbed wire must be reinforced with strong 

 galvanized wire netting. 



I am indebted to Mr. H. C. Pratt for some valuable 

 notes on pests of the rubber tree in the Federated Malay 

 States. In addition to the animals already mentioned, 

 planters in Malaya have to contend with wild elephants 

 and monkeys. Of the former Mr. Pratt writes: 

 ; ' Elephants have caused considerable damage in Perak, 

 moving in herds and doing their work at night. As a 

 general rule, on well-kept plantations they do not enter 

 the estate very far, keeping along that portion bordering 

 the jungle. They pull up young trees up to 2 years of 

 age and eat the roots, particularly the tap root. If an 

 estate is allowed to go back and become overgrown with 

 secondary jungle they will destroy most of the rubber. 

 The only remedy is to organize a proper drive, which is 

 now being carried out by the Government." 



The same observer remarks that the damage caused 



