190 



EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 



The "Red Bug" injuring Oranges again. 



I send you by this mail a small box contaiuing what to us is a new insect, which 

 attacks and is most destructive to the fruit of the Orauge tree. It has but recently 

 appeared, and, as far as I know, is confined to a few trees in a large grove joining 

 our place in the east. The fruit has nearly all fallen from the first tree attacked, 

 and in this tree there are thousands of the insects, which are now mostly engaged in 

 reproducing the species. The oranges are covered with them, and they follow the 

 fruit to the ground, being as thick in that as what is on the tree. They are not iujur- 

 ious to the tree, as far as I can observe, though they swarm upon the trunk and 

 branches. Their proboscis is of sufficient length to penetrate through the thick skin 

 of the orange, so that they appear to feed upon the juice only. I urged the owner of 

 the grove to spray the trees with hot water, and finally have his promise to do so 

 upon my furnishing the outfit and he the water. I expect I can get him at it to- 

 morrow. — [A. L. Duncan, Dunedin, Hillsborough County, Fla., November 8, 188S. 



Eeply. — * * * The insect which you send and which is damaging your neigh- 

 bor's oranges, is the common "Red Bug" or " Cotton Stainer " {Dysdercus suiurellus). 

 The normal food of this insect is cotton, and its original home is probably in the 

 Bahama Islands or the West Indies. It has long been known, however, as a Florida 

 insect, and many ;years ago seriously damaged the cotton crop both in this State and 

 upon the sea islands of Georgia. Its first appearance as an orange destroyer, so far 

 as we know, was in 1879, and you will find some short account of it in the Annual 

 Report of this Department for that year. So far as our experience goes this insect 

 only damages oranges near which cotton is grown, and we should be interested to ' 

 learn whether this is the case with your neighbor's oranges. The worst damage has 

 always been during a season in which the bugs have multiplied profusely upon 

 cotton, and after picking have migrated to the neighboring orange trees. It has been 

 noticed that the bugs accumulate in great numbers, especially during cold nights, 

 upon heaps of cotton seed outside the gins, and this has suggested that as a remedy I 

 small heaps of cotton seed might be placed at intervals through the groves, and in ' 

 the early morning the bugs which have collected upon them might be destroyed by 

 the use of hot water. Your advice to your neighbor is good, but you will probably 

 find that spraying the insects with a dilute kerosene emulsion made according to the 

 Hubbard formula will be more efficacious than the hot water alone. * * » — [l^io- 

 vember 14, 1888.] 



Further Injury in the Treasury by Roaches. 



Allow me to introduce Mr. E. Hergesheimer, Chief of Drawing Division, who will 

 tell you about our trouble with pests of the same nature as infested your records. 

 Please give him the benetitof your experience. — [B. A. Colonna, Assistant Chief U. S. 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, to E. B. Youmans, Chief Clerk Treasury, September 



18, 1888. 



Respectfully submitted to the Honorable Assistant Secretary, with recommendation 

 that this matter be referred to the Department of Agriculture for such advice as that 

 Department may be able to give, looking toward relief from the pests meutioued. — [E. 

 B. Youmans, Chief Clerk, to Hon. Hugh S. Thompson, Assistant Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury, September 18, 1888. 



Respectfully referred to the Honorable Commissioner of Agriculture with request 

 that he will have this matter investigated by the Entomologist of his Department, 

 and such action suggested by him as will lead up to the object desired.— [Hugh S. 



