ENEMIES, AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM. 105 



opinions about the cause of the rusty appearance of so 

 many Florida oranges; now, however, no doubt remains 

 on the subject. It is caused by a minute insect called the 

 rust mite, that would never have been discovered but for 

 the microscope being applied to the orange while still on 

 the trees, for within half an hour after the fruit is taken 

 from its parent stem every insect has disappeared. The 

 inite punctures the oil cells, the oil exudes and becomes 

 oxidized, and hence the dark appearance, and hard, rusty 

 skin of the fruit. 



This appearance damages the sale of the orange, but 

 does not impair its quality ; in fact, it appears rather to 

 develop its saccharine qualities. Place before a Florida 

 child two oranges, one bright, one rusty, and it will seize 

 the rusty one first. The rusty orange, protected from the 

 air by its hard, dry skin, ships much better than the bright ; 

 and so, if it were not for the damage done to the looks, 

 and hence to the sale of the fruit, there would be little 

 fault found with the mite. 



This one consideration, however, is enough to cause war 

 to be declared against it ; but fortunately, remedies have 

 been found, to which we shall presently refer. 



One other insect we shall mention, because it is very eas- 

 ily seen, and its destructive operations openly conducted 

 right under one's eyes he is a bold, fearless marauder. 

 Professor Kiley, of the Agricultural Department, calls him 

 Euthoctha galeator. He resembles greatly the well-known 

 squash bug, and delights to insert his strong proboscis in 

 the tenderest shoots to be found, causing them to wilt and 

 droop to their death, even while he robs them of the food 

 on which they live. The insect is one of the chief causes, 

 if not the chief, of the so-called disease of die-back. 



We have now described, so far as the limits of our pres- 

 ent work will permit, the chief enemies and friends of the 



