660 FEUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTEIES. 



stroyefl, and at night it climbs the trunks, crawling up to the extreme 

 height of the trees in search of the young leaves and tender shoots, 

 which it devours. In general, it is not one of the most terrible enemies, 

 on account of the facility with which it can be found out at the foot of 

 the trees and exterminated. 



Hemijpteral. — Of this numerous family there are six which are enemies 

 of the orange tree, namely. Aphis auranti, Ghermes hesperidum, Ghermes 

 oleoB, Ghermes aurantii, Ghermes coocineits, Gocous citri. 



Aphis auranti. — A kind of small vine-grab of green color varied by 

 black, and with long feelers, and small green horns black at their points. 

 It is generally seen in the orange trees in the month of September, and 

 when the trees commence to bud it usually fixes at the extremities of 

 the young shoots a quantity of black puceron, which occasions a vast 

 deal of damage to them, inasmuch as by reason of rendering them use- 

 less their growth is greatly retarded. By applying sulphur to the 

 shoots with great promptness the evil is soon and perfectly overcome. 



Ghermes hesperidum. — This gall-insect, called by gardeners the louse 

 of the orange tree, is not confined to the same, being also found on 

 other trees, such as the laurel, myrtle, pomegranate, and others. It is 

 found in the shape of an oval body nearly hemispherical, of brown 

 color, somewhat lucent. It prefers the under part of the leaves, but is 

 frequently found on top of them in a line along the center nerve or 

 stalk, being met in great number on the young branches, and when 

 numerous they occasion the loss of a large quantity of sap, which ex- 

 hausts the trees already languid from any other cause. Fumigations of 

 sulphur or tobacco are not at all efflcacions with these insects ; the only 

 true means for diminishing the quantity of kermes consists in simply 

 cleaning the plants with a brush or horse-hair glove, for once that the 

 insects are separated from the branches or leaves, they do not climb up 

 again, and shortly die. In the orchards carelessly cultivated, as also 

 the spots having but little ventilation in which the orange trees are 

 thickly planted and where the sun scarcely penetrates, is where this 

 insect is principally found. 



Ghermes oleoe. — This insect, although more natural to the olive tree, is 

 also found attacking the orange tree. The small shell of the femiile is 

 semiglobose and of a grayish-brown, more or less dark in color. The 

 superficies is marked with two thick transverse corrugations, which 

 make it seem rough. 



Ghermes aiiravtii is big, oval, very lOug, and of a blackish-brown color. 



Ghermes coecineus. — This is called the red kermes, its body being 

 round and of a bright red color. It has two long feelers, very movable, 

 and six white ieet. This gall-insect lives on top of the leaves, where it 

 deposits from tea to fifteen eggs, producing a corresponding number 

 of young insects of pearly-white color, wliich insects on growing to the 

 length of half a millimeter turn red. The existence of this insect is in- 

 dicated by the appearance on the under part of the leaves of the orange 



