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garded as good growing soil. The interior galleries and chambers 
of the white ants nests may go far through the soil and sometimes 
they are driven to a great depth. 
Most white ants do not attack growing vegetation although 
they do eat the hardwood of living trees if they can get access to 
it without eating through the living wood. In the North, white 
ants are amongst the worst pests the cultivator has to contend 
with. There appear to be several kinds of these termites, some 
feeding on dead wood only, and others on dead and live wood 
alike. Moist land, rich in vegetable matter, is invaded in prefer- 
ence to undulating and hilly localities. They are not found on 
springy country and on saltish marly land. The mounds vary in 
shape and in size, from. one to twelve feet high. 
In South Australia it is noticed that the white ants are trouble- 
some in sandy and limestone soils, occasionally destroying vines 
and showing particular liking for the Sultana vine. Mr. F. A. 
Marlatt also records them as doing damage to potatoes growing in 
rich soil or where there is a considerable quantity of decaying 
vegetable matter. 
Peach trees are not destroyed, and oranges, mangoes, avo- 
cados, tamarinds and date palms are amongst fruit trees seldom 
attacked. At Port Darwin I was told that the Meso termis Darwini, 
attacks growing citrus trees but not the Lime, which resists best and 
bears well. The fact suggests the possibility of this tree being 
utilised as a ‘“‘stock ”’ if grafted some way above ground. In the 
South-West of Western Australia white ants are smaller and not 
so destructive as they are in the North-West and in the Kimberleys. 
Treatment.—Consists mostly in circumventing and preventing 
this attack. In tropical countries they do a lot of harm and in the 
Malay States and in Java I have found them very destructive on 
new plantations. As white ants become better known, more 
efficacious means of combating them will be employed. Well- 
directed attack and systematic and thorough cultivation will do a 
lot to check the pest. 
When driven to it by starvation, as on infested land that has 
been cleared of vegetation they more eagerly attack trees and plants 
which, under circumstances, they would not touch. 
After clearing the land for tree planting or for cropping, all 
stumps and roots which may harbour or attract the termites should 
of course be removed and a search made for their nests ; the same 
precautions is advisable when building a house. The practice of 
breaking down the mounds on new land and obliterating the seat 
of the nests makes it more difficult to locate them for subsequent 
treatment. : 
For that purpose, an apparatus used in South Africa and which 
I also found employed with marked success in the Malay States 
effects efficient clearing work. It is called ‘‘ The Universal White 
Ant Exterminator.” 
