nary demand and scarcity we sec no prospect of any very scrimis 

 decline at present. 



We should rather indicate" as likely a price in the future of about 

 $!bd. per lb. than anything approaching 5/6^/. at which a few 

 eases Straits-grown Para sold at our la a auctions against 5/2^/. for 

 Ceylon grown; but for the next few months we think something 

 near present rates will be maintained, as any large arrivals from 

 the Amazon cannot reach Europe for some months. The last crop 

 of Para, Peruvian, Bolivian, etc., amounted to 31,000 tons and this 

 crop will be about the same. 



Your readers will therefore readily understand of what magni- 

 tude and importance the variation ol the price ol this article is 

 when measured by such differences as is. or 2s. per lb. on such 

 quantities as the Para figures run into, to say nothing of African, 

 Congo and other sorts which bring the world's production up to 

 about 60,000 tons annually. 



The remarkable feature of this important article is, that although 

 the production has increased by leaps and bounds the consumption 

 has outstripped the production and resulted during the past two 

 years in a large deficit, and an enormous rise in values which 

 amount to about 65 per cent. 



It is only reasonable to expect a set back after such an advance 

 and planters should not base their calculations for the future on 

 anything over $s. a lb. when the production of Para has caught up 

 the consumptio:i as it is bound to do. 



SCALE ON PARA RUBBER. 



While examining some young para rubber trees in Johore, about 

 2 or 3 years old, I observed that the leaves were short wrinkled 

 and generally unhealthy looking and the plants seemed generally 

 speaking to have been retarded in their growth. This seemed to 

 have been caused by the attacks of a black Coccid, or scale insect. 

 The insect full grown is about -J- inch long ovoid in outline, with 

 the edges minutely ciliate, and shortly conical, dull black in color. 

 Being adult females they had large numbers of minute whitish 

 yellow young ones under the dry carapace ; younger females were 

 more of a brown color, rather longer and more elliptic in outline 

 with very short white legs. The insect seemed to be leaving the 

 trees and dying out as many trees which had been affected were 

 recovering and no scale was to be seen on them. It would be 

 easy to check this pest in young trees by rubbing it off by hand 

 and it need never be allowed to become serious. Still it should be 

 watched and not allowed to spread. — Ed. 



BISULPHIDE OF CARBON FOR TERMITES. 



Termites ("White Ants''), fn my report for 1901 mention 

 was made of some experiments in the use of Bisulphide of Carbon 



