fUNK I, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
'THE RED ANT NUISANUK : WHAT IS TIIK 
REMEDY ? 
15th April 1882. 
Dear Sib, — A friend mentioned to me that lie saw 
a few mouths ago, in your valuable and interesting 
daily paper, a remedy for destroying the red ant, 
so common iu the lowcountry on almost all fruit- 
trees, but he forgot what the remedy was. 1 did 
not see it myself, nor eau I find it in the Tropical 
Agriculturist, which 1 have carefully lookrd through 
from October 1881 to March 1S82. If you, or any 
of your numerous readers, can remember the receipt, 
I shall be much obliged if they will send it for pub- 
lication ; or should any other of your readers know 
a remedy, I and others iu the lowoountry will be 
under an obligation if they will give it. These red 
ants are not ooly a nuisance and expense, but they 
are the dread of the coolies ; and no wonder, seeing 
they are so uumerous, and their bite painful. They 
are as pugnacious as bull dugs, and quite as obstinate 
and blind in their attacks. I assure you, a consider- 
able amount of very strong language is used by the 
coolies when picking and handling ; and, in the in- 
terests of morals, it is the duty of all, and especially 
our chemists, to try and liud a remedy for this pest ! 
What they subsist on I cannot tell, though I fancy 
it is on the honeydew of the leaves. They are found 
on, I think, every fruit tree in the lovvcountry, and 
not only at the time of fruits but all the year round, 
and also on many trees not yielding fruit ; so that it 
is not the saccharine matter from the coffee cherries 
that attracts them. I cannot find any insects that 
they can use as milch cows, as the little black ants 
do the "mealy bug" By-the-bye, these latter are 
doing harm to Ceara rubber trees, as 1 have observed 
hundreds on each leaf on the under-side, no doubt 
sucking out the juice ; and tho trees look miserable 
under the operation. The leaf is also subject to a 
blight, and about this time of the year, and, say 
from .January, they seem to have it badly. — 11. -J. 
[Wo noticed tins red aut nuisance in connection 
with our visit to the Udapolla Liberian c.ll'e.: estate, 
and we recalled the history of the proposed remedy 
for ' ■ black bug " in the days when that pest was as 
prevalent and nearly as destructive as the leaf fungus 
is now. The proposed remedy was the introduction 
of the red ants to estates worked by almost nude 
coolies ! No wonder, although the remedy was char- 
acterized as being almost as bad as the disease. The 
whole history of this formidable wasp-like red aut 
is worthy of careful investigation and record. We 
know that the red ants carry away and greedily de- 
vour the so-called "white ants" (termites), and as 
to their food generally we suspect it must be largely 
Composed of insects. A few days ago we directed the 
pulling up of some withered sticks, and th y were 
covered not by "white ants," but by the big red 
fellows, which bite so furiously and so venomously. 
Their nests are common on tho "dang" trees in the 
Cinnamon Gardens. We are not ablo to recall the 
remedy alluded to. — Ed.] 
Oki'tincs Kin 01 White Ants. — When travelling in 
Queensland, a gentleman ill our company received 
letter from 11 French lady in Port Darwin to the effect 
that tho Bngarcones there had been destroyed by " les 
termites." Our friend was puzzled until we informed 
him that this was the scientific, a^ it oaght to be also 
the popular name of the destructive insects known as 
"white ants." Ucecnt accounts from tin- North Terri- 
tory of South Australia announce that the termites had 
been "almost overcome by the tree use of lime and 
oxoefiploughing," 0 fact which «e commend to tea planters 
in India and planters of cocoa and other lowooiiniry 
products in Colon. 
Cocoa in Trinidad. — Tho large shipments of cocoa 
last year only in part make up for the great de- 
ficiency in the last mouths of 1881 , nor was all 
very good in quality, from the dismal November 
weather so interfering with the course of curing. 
The rains did also much harm in throwing down 
great numbers of flowers, which will cause a poor 
gathering of fruit for some months ahead; but after 
the prospect is good, the 
ml. showers havini; started 
rains with sub- 
buds 
lidad 
iat pro- 
th 
th- 
es, teas and cin- 
n during iho past 
of the Cape of Good Hope, 
Committee on Ways and Me; 
duty on tea and coffee prod' 
But w hy not attach cinchona 
discriminating duties paid o 
chona barks entered for cons 
three fiscal years were as follow 
Coffee. Tea. Cinchona Harks 
1879 §13,218 §12,792 $ 15,958 
1880 29,680 7,608 8,578 
1881 533 S,927 8,724 
Totals .. .. §43,431 §29,327 §33,260 
— U. S. Oil and Drug News. 
Foot and Mouth Disease. — W 7 e are informed by 
Mr. Mark Charrock, farm bailiff to Messrs. Greenwood 
and Roberts, Rudholme Laund, Clitheroe, that he 
has found great benefit from the use of carbolic acid in 
cases of foot and mouth disease. The disease broke out 
in a herd of 83 cattle, of which 13 were affected wheu the 
experiments with Calvert's No. 5 carbolic acid ap- 
plied by means of Calvert's "Vaporiser." A fur- 
ther outbreak occurred two days afterwards, but 
from that time the spread of the disease was ar- 
rested, and the whole of the affected animals speedily 
recovered. The success in this case was so marked, 
both with regard to checking the spread of the dis- 
ease and curing it, that an extensive trial of this 
remedy will probably be made. — Mark Lone Express, 
March 20th. 
Forewarned is Forearmed. — Planters and farmers 
throughout the district will do well to pay attention 
to the matter to which we now refer. A neutlemau 
riding along the Nebo road had his attention directed 
to a large patch or tlock of locusts ; which were settled 
on one of the cane fields at the Palms estate, by 
his horse refusing to pass by the spot without exhib- 
iting signs of great fear. On alighting to make ex- 
amination he found that these insects in millions 
were depasturing on tho cane of which every vestiye 
disappeared as they slowly travelled along A close 
j inspection showed that the locusts were in the early 
I stage of developement and might easily be destroyed 
I were proper measures adopted. But if they are allowed 
to grow to maturity their spreading over the district 
is a matter quite within tho bounds of probability 
and a more terrible scourge can scarcely be imagined, 
should they do so. We aro informed th: t in their 
primary stage they may bo swept up or covered with 
cloths or bags and destroyed, and wo should suggest 
to the gentleman in chargo of the Palms .state, as 
well as to any other persons who may be visited by 
theso locusts, tho desirability of at once taking step* 
to arrest the spread of these insects. If : to loeu-tn 
can bo eradicated from tho district, it will bo well 
worth the expenditure of a sum of money on the 
work. Th» visitation alluded to took place before 
the recent heavy rain, which may possibly have effected 
the work of destruction, but in any case w.> trust 
our allusion to tho subject will bo borne r< mind so 
that upon tho re-appearanoc of this plague it may bo 
stamped out, if possible. — Mackay (X. QuetlUUmt) 
Standard. 
