175 
described). The infected trees should be destroyed and the roots 
(lug out, every bit ol dead root, or decayed timber being removed 
and the ground well saturated with copper sulphate and lime. 
TUBEUF in writing of a similar parasite in Europe ( tomes 
annosus) whose habits are very similar to those of F. semitostus 
states that the best wav of combating the ravages of the parasite 
is isolation of infected areas. These should be isolated with ditches 
with vertical sides deep enough to cut 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'ojhores on the exposed roots. All 
diseased stems should he felled and burnt, or deeply covered with 
soil to prevent the formation of sporophores. Fn fact isolation of 
these contagious parasites should be done by ditches as the in- 
fectious parasites are isolated by screens of trees of another 
species. 
Since writing the above l 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 sporopli ores are ripe the spores may then be blown 
on to the next tree and infect that. 
H. N. RIDLEY. 
Note on tlie 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, 2'i % 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 Gov- 
ernment Analyst’s Laboratory, Singapore, samples of such rubber 
I will determine the moisture in the samples and publish the results 
in the Bulletin, and in that way arrive at reliable figures as to the 
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 :>f the tree. 
The following data were obtained on analysis, the source ui latex 
being a tree 13 years' old, tapped for the first time. 
luo 
