4§5 
Mr. Bamber would prove workable in practice ; it would certainly 
be cumbersome, extremely wasteful, and probably very deleterious 
to the coolies working it. Its efficacy would probably depend 
rather on the amount of sulphur vapour and sulphur dioxide 
formed, than on its output of carbon bisulphide. I have gone 
into the question in detail, and believe that the chemical could be 
produced in bulk in this country at a far less cost than it would 
be possible to import it for, when the prohibitive freight and 
heavy loss in transport is taken into account. My estimates and 
the facts on which they are based are embodied in Appendix A. 
XVI. — Summary. 
Summarising the above information, it may fairly be taken as 
proved : — 
(a) That Termes gesb'cuy comparatively a scarce and unim- 
portant species under conditions normal to the country, has 
risen to the rank of a serious agricultural pest, owing to 
the provision in large quantities of a suitable food tree ; 
(b) That the damage caused to estates is, in the main, 
due to termites bred within their limits, and not in 
the adjacent jungle ; otherwise trees near the boundaries 
would be most affected, which is not found to be the case ; 
(c) That less damage occurs on light soil, and when 
the spacing is very wide, but that this is far more than 
counterbalanced by the more vigorous growth and better 
return per acre on heavier soil more thickly planted ; 
{d) That the mischief is most active in rainy weather ; 
(e) That the nests of the termites are to be found inside 
the trunks of the trees destroyed, and that these nests 
swarm — i.e., attempt to form new communities — sometime 
between September and Christmas ; 
(/) That no species of termite other than T. gestroi is 
injurious to living Para; 
(g) That the attacks of the termites do not appear to be 
due to antecedent disease fungoid, or otherwise, though 
sometimes induced by mechanical injury to the cambium. 
XVII. — Recommendations. 
I have to make the following recommendations : — - 
(a) That where possible, planting be carried out by means 
of seed at stake and not by stumps ; 
( b ) That when affected externally, trees be treated with 
dry lime in accordance with previous paragraphs, and that 
when internal damage is suspected, by means of carbon bi- 
sulphide vapour forced into the cavities by means of a small 
pump fitted with three valves, one for admission of carbon 
bisulphide, from an attached receiver, one for admixture of 
air near the end of the stroke, and one for the expulsion of 
3 (m 
