175 



described). The infected trees should be destroyed and the roots 

 liug out. every bit of dead rout, or decayed limber being removed 

 and the ground well saturate I with copper sulphate and lime. 



TlJBEUF in writing of a similar parasite in Europe (Fames 

 annosus) whose habits are very similar to those of F. semitostus 

 states that the best way of combating the ravages of the parasite 

 is isolation of infected areas. These should be isolated with ditches 

 with vertical sides deep enough to cat through all roots, care being- 

 taken to leave no diseased stems or roots outside the circle. After 

 remaining open for a time the ditch must be filled again with soil 

 to prevent the formation of spo-oahores on the exposed roots. All 

 diseased stems should be felled and burnt, or deeply covered with 

 soil to prevent the formation of sporophores. In fact isolation of 

 these contagious parasites should be done by ditches as the in- 

 fectious parasites are isolated bv screens of trees of another 

 species. 



Since writing the above I have seen further attacks of this fun- 

 gus in a Rubber estate and have also a report of what is probably 

 the same thing in Selangor. The roots of the trees are destroyed 

 usually on one side, a puff of wind comes and over it goes. If the 

 orange colored sporophores are ripe the spores may then be blown 

 on to the next tree and infect that. 



H. N. RIDLEY. 



Note on the Moisture in prepared Rubber. 



A biscuit of Para rubber from one to three millimetres in thick- 

 ness which had been smoked and was commercially ready for 

 shipment and which was apparently dry was found to contain 

 3*09 % of moisture. 



The moisture was determined by drying for 32 days in a dessi- 

 cator over calcium chloride. The drying being rapid at first but 

 very slow at the finish, T 1 % of water being lost in the first 48 hours. 



This experiment was carried out in order to give some guide to 

 the probable loss of weight of rubber during shipment from here 

 to Europe. If managers of those estates from which rubber is now 

 being exported will, during the next two months send to the Go\ 

 ernment Analyst's Laboratory, Singapore, samples of such rubber 

 I will determine the moisture in the samples and publish the result 

 in the Bulletin, and in that way arrive at reliable figures as to I lie 

 maximum loss of weight properly prepared rubber should give. 



On variation in quality of latex. 



The variation of quality of the latex from Hevea Brazil iensis in 

 different positions of the tree. 



The following data were obtained on analysis, the source of latex 

 being a tree 13 vears old. tapped lor the lirst time. 



