SPRAYING FOR CITRUS INSECTS AND MITES IX FLORIDA. 



FIG. 17. Normal orange blooms and buds, 

 the bloom in figure 18. 



Compare with 



be accomplished. It is only when leaves are hit by the spray 

 that the pests on them are killed. Lack of thoroughness in this 

 respect is responsible for more failures to obtain satisfactory re- 

 sults than are all other factors combined. 



In order that sat- 

 isfactory results 

 may be secured, 

 only the most intel- 

 ligent, honest, and 

 careful laborers 

 should be employed 

 to handle the spray 

 rods. In fact, it 

 might be \vell for 

 the foreman or 

 owner to handle one 

 rod. If this is not 

 practicable, the 

 owner or a respon- 

 sible foreman should be with the machine all the time. It is also 

 advisable to examine the leaves frequently to see if they have been 

 hit on the lower surfaces. The sprayer himself should have an op- 

 portunity to examine his own work. Even when the best and most 



thorough work has 

 been done, many 

 leaves will remain 

 untouched by the 

 spray. 



WHEN TO SPEAY. 



So far as the 

 effect of the various 

 insecticides on the 

 trees and fruit is 

 concerned it is rea- 

 sonably safe to 

 spray at any season 

 of the year. The 

 oil emulsions, how- 

 ever, should not be 

 used at more than 

 half strength during the blossoming period (compare figs. 17 and 18) 

 or until the fruit is about an inch in diameter. Although the writer 

 has known several people to use them at this season at full strength 

 without any injurious results, the application of oil sprays to the 

 blossoms is too hazardous to be generally practiced. When low tem- 



FIG. 18. Spraying with heavy oil emulsions at full strength 

 may injure the bloom of orange and grapefruit, as here 

 illustrated, and cause much of it to drop. 



