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rains occur is the best time to search for attacked trees as their presence 
is then made apparent by the mud encasement. 
Mr. Robinson in his report in T. gestroi says “ the damage is 
caused not so much by the actual death of the tree, for in many 
cases the living tissues are perfectly sound but from a weakening of 
the trunk and tap root added to the natural brittleness of the wood 
rendering then unable to resist the slightest wind pressure ” My 
observations corroborate this and I have found in some cases that 
besides wind pressure, rain will often cause diseased trees to fall, due 
to the increased weight of the foliage. 
Age of Tree when Attacked. 
According to Mr. Robinson it is very rare for any material damage 
to be done to para rubber before the age of years. My experience 
however has been very different and Mr. Robinson’s statement may 
I think be accounted for by the fact that when his investigations 
were conducted comparatively little land had been taken up for the 
purpose of planting rubber, young plantations being rare. 
On nearly 40 estates in different parts of the Peninsula which I 
have visited during the last 18 months I find that trees are attacked 
very commonly, and with very disastrous effects, at any age from 6 
months upwards, sometimes the stumps before sprouting being killed. 
The time occupied by Gestroi in killing trees of 18 months is very 
short. The roots are almost invariably the subject of attack, being 
hollowed out from the apex to within about an inch from the surface 
of the ground, making the tree’s hold so fragile that it is remarkable 
how they remain upright and show no signs of weakness or decay. 
Propping Fallen Trees. 
A common practice among planters is to prop up young trees 
which have fallen through Gestroi attack. Such a procedure is un- 
doubtedly prompted by the fear of losing 18 months growth, but it 
must be taken into consideration that such trees are very liable to be 
continuity attacked and thus prove a source of danger to other trees. 
On one estate which I visited during 1907 trees of the age of 8-9 
years were treated in this way, the top having been cut off to within 
10 feet of the ground. 
Inside an area of 50 acres some 40 trees had received this treat- 
ment and no less than 70 per cent of the trees within this area were 
attacked by Gestroi. Without exception those trees which had been 
propped if were riddled by Gestroi , and must I maintain have been 
a factor aiding the mutiplication of this serious pest. 
As long as such a practice is continued any reduction in the 
numbers of this pest cannot resonably be expected, besides which each 
estate that becomes so infected is a dangerous neighbour. 
Native Trees Attacked. 
Several native trees suffer very considerably from the attacks of 
Termes gestroi. Of these Kumpas (Kumpasia malaccensis) and the 
several species of Meranti (Shorea) appear to be the favoured woods. 
Coconut, Kapok cotton (Eriodendron) and several species of mango 
are also frequently killed by Gestroi. 
