408 The Probable Danger from White Ants. (July, 
Boston itself, but there can be no doubt of it. Old posts, plank- 
ways, fences, stumps, are everywhere their favorite dwelling, and 
there is no lack of this sort of rubbish in many places. In East 
Boston their appearance was recorded several years ago by news- 
papers. 
The question, What can be done to prevent as much as possi- 
ble the danger? is a natural one. I have thought much about 
what should be recommended, and I will try to give some hints 
which may perhaps be accepted. The remedies (the large num- 
ber of which shows their insufficiency) recommended for the de- 
struction of white ants in the tropics fill a whole literature. I will 
not forget to mention that as every calamity is used by rogues 
to cover their bad doings; even the destruction by white ants 
was used in such a way. When a very large property, stored 
by the government in Isle de France, was reported as destroyed 
by white ants, the ministers sent to the officers a box containing 
files, with the strict order to file off the teeth of each ant or to 
resign the place. Since then the white ants have been harm- 
less, at least comparatively SO. 
The substance of the propositions recommended by me would 
be as follows: — _ 
(1.) We must know that we live surrounded by such enemies, 
and that great destruction can be done. If we look straight in 
the face of an enemy and know the power he can develop, the 
battle is half won. N othing is more dangerous than underrating 
or overlooking the power of even the feeblest enemy. 
(2.) We must not try to find a remedy to exterminate them 
entirely and at once. Such exertions are fruitless. We must 
try to diminish the danger to the smallest possible degree. The 
life of man is a continuous struggle with a host of enemies which 
he cannot exterminate. They must be avoided or conquered. 
(3.) The remedy must be a reasonable one. For instance, 
it would be absurd to recommend not to build houses of wood in 
a country where certainly wooden buildings are the most healthy, 
considering the great changes of temperature, the great humidity 
of the air, and above all the convenience of such houses. 
The diminishing of the progeny of animals is done in the sım- 
plest way by depriving them of food. Now the food of white 
ants is principally old rotten wood, and I think the first step 
should be to take away all that is possible of such stuff. Old 
stumps are the principal dwellings for white ants, preserving 
them through the winter. Therefore every old stump should be 
. 
