with ordinary doors and mud walls, may build an entire house (as 

 he wants neither nails nor iron work), with walls, roof, and cover- 

 ing from the Palmyra palm. From this same tree he may draw 

 his wine, make his oil, kindle his fire, carry his water, store his 

 food, cook his repast, and sweeten it, if he pleases ; in fact, he 

 does so live from day to day dependent on his palmyra alone. 

 Multitudes so live, and it may be safely asserted that this tree 

 alone furnishes one-fourth the means of sustenance for the 

 population of the northern provinces." 



THE RUST MITE OF THE ORANGE. 



The mite* which causes the rust of the orange, lives on all 

 citrus plants. It is very small, only o^q of an inch in length. 

 The eggs hatch in four or five days, and within seven to ten days 

 the young mites undergo a moult. The period of moulting, or 

 casting the skin, lasts two days, and eggs are probably laid in a 

 few days after the moult. 



The mites feed on the essential oil of the leaves and fruit, and 

 move from one part of the plant to another as the conditions 

 favour them. 



EFFECTS OF ATTACK. 



On the leaves each puncture of the mites causes a minute pimple, 

 and if the mites are abundant, the leaf surface loses its gloss, and 

 has a tarnished dusty appearance. The leaves do not drop off, 

 but there is a loss of vitality, and the growth of the plant is to 

 some extent checked. 



If the fniit is severely attacked, it does not attain its full size. 

 The skin shrinks and toughens, preserving the fruit from injury 

 and decay, so that it carries better, keeps longer, and is superior 

 in flavour to bright fruit. 



REMEDIES. 



In applying remedies, the life history must be remembered ; and 

 that while it is comparatively easy to kill the adult mites, it is 

 very difficult to kill the eggs and the young mites while they are 

 protected by the old skin during the moulting stage. Either the 

 remedy must be sufficient to kill eggs and young as well as adults, 

 or it must be repeated at intervals. 



Whale Oil Soap. — Whale oil soap solution, made by dissolving 

 one pound of the soap in ten gallons of water, is effectual in 

 killing all the adults, and a large percentage of moulting mites 

 and eggs. Applications should be made by a spray pump, and be 

 repeated several times at intervals of a few days. 



One pound to five gallons of water in still more effectual but 

 while not injuring the leaves, may cause the blossoms to fall off" 

 if applied when the plant is in flower. 



Sulphur. — Finely powdered flower of sulphur kills both adult 

 and young mites, but does not affect the eggs. It may be dusted 

 on the plant, or applied in water by spraying, — putting two or 

 three ounces of sulphur to one gallon of water. If scale-insects 



* H. G. Hubbard in Ann. Rep. U. S. Dept. of Agri. 188i, page 



361. 



