31 



been done and the usuul remedies for injury of thiw character were 

 here of but little use. 



Mr. Sanderson stated that he had had some experience in his own 

 house with a small beetle, about one-third of an inch long, the species 

 being unknown to him. He could advise no means of killing it. 



Mr. Quaintance asked if there had been any experiments made in 

 fumigating to rid houses and cellars of white ants. 



Mr. Marlatt said that it was very probably true that the subter- 

 ranean colonies of the white ant would not be reached by the gas 

 treatment, but that if the flooring could be loosened and the gas put 

 as near as could be to the infested region, a great deal of benefit might 

 result. The trouble would come, however, from the fact that the 

 white ant colonies had numerous branches, and many of these would 

 be beyond the foundation of the house. With regard to the use of 

 creosote, he stated that for several years past the recommendation of 

 the use of this substance had been made by the Division of Ento- 

 mology, and that it was mentioned by himself in a recently published 

 circular on the white ant. The use of creosote referred to was more 

 in the nature of forcing it through the body of the timbers, as well as 

 coating and soaking the exterior, and when so done it was believed to 

 be a very effective means of preventing white-ant damage. The chief 

 objection to it was the expense of the treatment. 



Mr. Smith related an experience from New Brunswick, N. J. In 

 one of the churches there had been trouble, and, in taking out the old 

 organ, the timbers were found to be riddled by white ants. He had 

 been consulted in the matter, and, in accordance with his suggestions, 

 the worst infested timbers were removed and replaced with iron beams. 

 Where it was necessary to keep wood, this had been soaked in a creo- 

 sote preparation. Up to the present time he had heard nothing 

 further of the matter. 



Mr. Osborn remarked that it is almost necessary to find the nests 

 of these insects to treat them, but did not consider gas would be 

 effective if the insects were locked up in the timber. He was of the 

 opinion that it would be difficult to kill them by fumigating, as the 

 fumes of the gas did not penetrate to any extent. 



Mr. Scott stated that he had spent a number of hours in an attempt 

 to locate the nests of white ants, but that they were hard to find. 

 Soaking timbers with creosote, as stated by Dr. Smith, had been used 

 at different times by him in the South, but had not proven to be of 

 much value. He thought that possibly some system of forcing creo- 

 sote through the wood might be of value. He had frequently sug- 

 gested that this be done, but the expense of the creosote seemed to be 

 an objection, and he considered it of little value. 



Mr. Hopkins called attention to a very excellent report from the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, by Dr. Herman von Schrenk, on the treat- 

 ment of timber for fungi and insects. 



