324 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



solution and pack them in joints of bamboo for shipment to 

 distant markets. At the Hawaii Experiment Station it was 

 found that "refrigeration, where it is available, furnishes the 

 best means of preserving the litchi for a limited period in its 

 natural state. . . . There is no doubt that refrigeration will 

 provide a very satisfactory method for placing upon American 

 markets the litchi crop grown in Florida, California, Hawaii, 

 Porto Rico, or Cuba." 



The season of ripening in southern China is from May to 

 July. In northern India it is slightly earlier. In Honolulu 

 fresh litchis sell for 50 to 75 cents a pound. 



Pests and diseases. 



Little is known regarding the enemies of the litchi in China. 

 Brewster says : "There is a worm which makes a ring around 

 the trunk under the bark. When the circle is complete the 

 tree dies ; but the bark is broken by it, and by careful watching 

 this can be prevented before the worm does serious harm. 

 There is also a sort of mildew upon the leaves in certain years 

 that does much harm, and the Chinese do not seem to have any 

 way of dealing with it." 



Several insect pests are reported from India. A small brown 

 weevil (Amblyrrhinus poricollis Boh.), the larvse of a gray- 

 brown moth (Plotheia celtis Mo.), and the larvae of Thalassodes 

 quadraria Guen. feed on the leaves. The larvae of Crypto- 

 phlebia carpophaga Wlsm. attack the fruits. Several species 

 of Arbela (notably A. tetraonis Mo.) occur as borers on the 

 tree. 



It has been found in Hawaii that the dreaded Mediterranean 

 fruit-fly does not attack the litchi fruit, except when the shell 

 has been broken and the pulp exposed. The litchi fruit-worm, 

 the larva of a tortricid moth (Cryptophlebia illepida Btl.), is 

 said to have caused much damage to the fruit crop at times. 

 The hemispherical scale (Saissetia hemispherica Targ.) occa- 



