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ciently open to allow the entrance of one of the yonng insects, 

 so that we find the blossom cavities not infrequently inhabited 

 "by the insect. But this is not so common nor so injurious a 

 feature as those just mentioned. 



Fig. 7. Slice of pineapple from a tin that had "gone bad." It 

 will be noted that there are dark stains to the number of about 

 ten. These stains correspond in position with the bundles of 

 fibres that pass to the different carpels of the fruit. This again 

 shows the tendency of the rot to pass most rapidly through the 

 most fibrous tissue. It is not certain that this slice was affected 

 with the Thirlaviopsis fungus. 



From these facts we may draw most important inferences 

 as to tlie treatment necessary in order to prevent the attacks 

 of the rot. The problem involves entomological as well as 

 fun^^us factors, as is not infrequently the case when we come 

 to study the full life history of a fungus. 



First let us deal with the entomological part of the problem^, 

 ?s that is more easy of comprehension, in that it deals with 

 an organism apparent to the unaided eye. If one looks atten- 

 ti\-ely at a pineapple, and especially if he takes the trouble to 

 probe a little with a pocket knife and to look about with a 

 pocket lense. he will easilv confirm what has been said as to the 

 habitat of the mealy-bug of the pineapple. It is most abundant 

 at the base and at the top of the fruit. At the top it is the 

 liabit of the insect to push its way into the axils of the leaves, 

 and as one removes leaf after leaf at the base of one of the 



