March 1908.] 



221 



PLANT SANITATION. 



A WHITE ANT EXTERMINATOR. 



[The apparatus described in the follow- 

 ing article has been fully tested by the 

 Government Entomologist at the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens. It has proved an un- 

 qualified success. Troublesome ant 

 hills, of long standing, have been des- 

 troyed in a few minutes' time. A de- 

 partmental circular, describing the ap- 

 paratus and the manner of employment 

 is in preparation.— E. E, G.] 



In the " Natal Agricultural Journal " 

 for July, 1906, Mr. Claude Fuller, Govern- 

 ment Entomologist, illustrates and des- 

 cribes a machine for the destruction of 

 white ants, placed on the market in 

 South Africa by Messrs. P. Henwood, 

 Soutter & Co., agents tor the sale 

 thereof. 



This contrivance consists of an air- 

 pump, connected by a short length of 

 rubber hose to a furnace. By working 

 the pump a continuous blast of air is 

 driven into the furnace, entering be- 

 neath and escaping through a pipe near 

 the top. A charcoal or cow-dung fire is 

 first started in the furnace, and by 

 pumping, got thoroughly alight. A 

 powder is then sprinkled over the fire 

 and the lid closed. By continuing the 

 pumping a very hot cloud of poisonous 

 smoke is driven out through a flexible 

 hose. In use, the nose is inserted into a 

 gallery of an ant's nest and the smoke 

 pumped in. 



Having had one of these machines in 

 use for the past three or four months, 

 I have no hesitation in saying that in 

 the " Universal Ant Exterminator" we 

 have the most efficient and effective 

 apparatus for destroying white ants in 

 their nests which has yet come under 

 notice. Upon many occasions I have 

 succeeded in killing out huge colonies — 

 nests 15 and 20 feet across — where I have 

 previously failed to destroy the lot. 

 Treated nests which have been dug out 

 reveal the death of every inhabitant, 

 and show deposited upon the walls of 

 every chamber and gallery a poisonous 

 coating. 



Two rather unique cases in the use of 

 the pump are worth recording. In the 

 first case a white-ants' nest was dis- 

 covered beneath the flooring of a farm- 

 house and dug out. Later, I loaned the 

 machine to the owner in order that he 

 might test its efficiency. White ants 

 were noticed working at the mouth of a 

 gallery 80 feet away from the house. 

 Here the fumes were pumped in, and a 



29 



few minutes later a cloud of smoke 

 issued through the flooring of the room 

 from beneath which the nest had pre- 

 viously been dug out. The gentleman 

 to whom the machine was loaned has 

 since purchased two, and is now work- 

 ing over the whole of an estate of 5,000 

 or 6,000 acres. 



In the second instance honey bees had 

 become a decided nuisance, making their 

 nests between the lining and the roofing 

 of a large verandah. Auger holes were 

 bored through the ceiling boards, and 

 the smoke pumped in through a length 

 of iron piping. The immediate result 

 was to drive out the bees through every 

 exit hole they knew of. Many dropped 

 dead, but the majority escaped alive. 

 Afterwards, of course, the bees returned, 

 and, naturally enough, started to work 

 cleaning away the deposit ; this poisoned 

 them off. 



Wherever a gallery, sufficiently large 

 to admit the nose of the hose, can be 

 obtained (about half an inch in diameter), 

 the machine can be used with the most 

 satisfactory results ; not only are the 

 insects killed, but the gallery is 

 thoroughly poisoned for an indefinite 

 a period. 



The powder spoken of is sold with the 

 pumps. A cheaper and equally effective 

 powder can be obtained by farmers at 

 the Department of Agriculture, Maritz- 

 burg, at 8d. per lb. — The Queensland 

 Agricultural Journal, Vol. XX., Part I., 

 January, 1908. 



THE MOSQUITO BLIGHT IN TEA. 



DISCOVERY OP A NEW PREVENTIVE. 



The Indian Tea Association are circulat- 

 ing for the information of tea planters a 

 Note wiitten by Mr. Hutchinson on pre- 

 ventive measures in connection with 

 mosquito blight in tea. 



Mr. Hutchinson in his Note deals with 

 the discovery by Mr. An tram of a new 

 soap solution cheaper and as deadly in 

 its action as kerosine emulsion, which has 

 hitherto been used for the purpose. He 

 says : — 



Owing to the unprecedented severity 

 of this blight during the past season 

 (1907) it has been considered advisable to 

 devote special attention to methods of 

 combating it. With this intention the 

 Insectarium at Kanny Koory has been 

 given up almost entirely during the past 



