DISEASES AND PESTS 157 



delicately white, about a millimeter long; it gradually 

 reaches a length of 10 mm., and takes on a dirty 

 whitish, very pale greenish or very light buff color with, 

 an overlay of rather dull pinkish tints which are 

 arranged somewhat like longitudinal strides on the 

 back. It crawls about, looking for a place to pupate, 

 and usually works into the seed cavity of the date, 

 where its excrements will be found. In dates there 

 are probably four generations a year. All varieties 

 are attacked, but the softest ones by preference. At 

 Baghdad the growers have the idea that the dry 

 date Zahidi is less attacked than any other. 



The best protection against this pest is to have 

 a packing-house that is reasonably insect-proof, and 

 to fumigate it at the beginning of the packing season 

 with hydrocyanic acid gas or, in the case of small 

 inclosures, with bisulphid of carbon. From twenty- 

 four to forty-eight hours' exposure is desirable. 



In addition to this, the dates themselves may be 

 treated, and certainly should be treated unless it is 

 certain that they are to be sold and consumed without 

 much delay. In the case of dry dates they could be 

 scalded in boiling water without injury. Other dates 

 can be pasteurized by dry heat, three hours at a 

 temperature of from 180 to 190 F. One of the best 

 preventive measures, however, is to see that the calyx, 

 or cap to which the stem is attached, at the base of 

 the date, is left on the fruit. Fruit matured by the 

 quick artificial process will not need to be treated. 



In Arizona a minute beetle, Carpophyllus 

 dimidiatuSy has caused trouble of the same kind as 

 that due to the moths. He is so small that he can 

 pass through an ordinary window screen. The 

 measures given above will prove equally effective to 



