SPRAYING FOR CITRUS INSECTS AND MITES IN FLORIDA. 



37 



spraying has been published in Department Bulletin 615, " Some 

 Reasons for Spraying Citrus Trees in Florida," and the reader is 

 referred to that publication for the complete discussion of this phase 

 of the spraying question. 



FIG. 23. A miscellaneous lot of fruit picked from trees sprayed to kill rust mites. 

 Only 19 fruits could be packed in the tray. Compare fruits shown in figure 24. 



In that bulletin it was shown that in the 1915-16 citrus crop there 

 was a loss of over $500,000 due to the lowering of the grades of the 

 fruit, caused by pests, which could have been prevented very easily. 

 The reduction in size caused an additional loss of $475,000, and the 



FIG. 24. A miscellaneous lot of oranges from unsprayed trees adjoining sprayed ones. 

 Note that these 28 fruits take up the same space as the 19 fruits from sprayed trees 

 shown in figure 23. Spraying increases the size of the fruit. 



reduction in yield caused a loss of $760,000, making a total of 

 $1.7-W.955, practically all of which could have been prevented easily 

 at a nominal cost. To spray this crop at 6 cents per box would have 

 cost $156,000, leaving a profit of $1,288,955, or 282.7 per cent profit 

 on the investment. 



