THE BORER

Evening Star, Issue 19606, 12 July 1927, Page 2

THE BORER

SUPREME COURT CONSIDERS PROBLEM

Anohium domesticum is what tho naturalist calls him—but the builder and the householder have other names, the only printable one of which is borer. His activities .in Christchurch were much discussed in the Suprellie Court recently, both in the witness box and around the fives that struggle bravely to take the chill from that solemn chamber (says the ‘Press’)- ■ The case concerned an old house in Papanlii, in which it was admitted borer existed, the only question being whether the owner had not been too modest in his estimate of the amount. Naturally, the merits of old and new houses came under review. Much was heard of the oft-repeated statement that the houses built twenty-five, thirty, and even forty years ago contained better timber than the modern structures. One builder admitted such was the case, but argued that the work put into a modern house was vastly superior. Evidently, there were some defects in the selection of timber in earlier times, for witnesses both in the box and in private conversation spoke of the haphazard variety of timbers as one of the drawbacks of bid houses. It seems it was the general practice of a builder to get mixed lots of timber, and a good deal of this was white pine, regarded now as being particularly susceptible to borer. Why white pine should have this weakness could not be explained. Some books were consulted, but the only theory offered was that white pine had some constituent palatable to tho insect. Another builder remarked that much ,of the white pine supplied now was below the standard of the same class of timber supplied in the old dftys, due to the forests being worked out. The general opinion was that a good house, even with the borer, had a lilo history of sixty years, although the coming of the borer entailed greater care if tho house were to finish that span, lb was also said—in the box—that hover was almost to bo expected in a house after thirty years’ service. Tin’s led to a remark from Mr Justice Adams: “ It would not he expected in the place I cbnie from—which is Dunedin ! ” , .

No great faith was expressed in many suggested remedies. One witness said that to rid the borer from a house’at a certain stage, so many boards would have to be taken off that the place would be “ stripped to a skeleton.” Houses on piles the builders emphasised, were much less suspectible both to borer and dry rot. The latter defect, the builders explained, is due to the absence of ventilation, and it was claimed that the best timber would rot within five years where such ventilation was absent. Plastered houses were considered as being no loss susceptible to borer than other structures. The only difference was that the collections of dust did not find their way to the rooms, but one builder said he knew a house where the borer dust was 1-Jin thick above the ceiling. Much amusement was caused during the case by the tendency of the inex*. peri to confuse borer with dry rot.