PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 169 



with either coal oil or alcohol from a small machine oil can, holding 

 the Navels up to secure complete killing, repeating on the trees where 

 there is return of the trouble. 



Any and all of these methods have been completely successful, there 

 being no return of the mealy bug after two years where the orchards 

 are free of weeds. But if there is much growth of weeds under and 

 about the trees there is but little hope of complete success. 



All of these methods are too slow, and require constant watching for 

 some months afterwards, and are rarely successful except where the 

 number of trees are few, or the owner of the orchard is willing to give 

 much time and attention to the job. The results are that in most of 

 the orchards where they have gained a foothold they are slowly spread- 

 ing, and unless we can secure some parasite for the mealy bug which 

 will keep it completely down, the time is not far distant when a large 

 number of the citrus orchards will be completely infested with them. 

 There are many parasites which work on the mealy bug in the orchards, 

 and at times very nearly exterminate them, but none of them, so far as 

 known, keep them down for more than a few months, or possibly a year, 

 the insects always returning and generally to the very same trees. 



C. B. Beaine. 



NURSERY STOCK. 



The raising of citrus nursery stock in this county is one of the most 

 important industries, and the inspection of nursery stock is one of the 

 duties to which the Commissioners and Inspectors devote a large part 

 of their time during the planting season, the interest of the citrus 

 industry of the future depending largely on their knowledge and care- 

 ful inspection. 



The method' used in this county mostly, by the nurserymen under 

 the supervision of Commissioners and Inspectors, we believe to be very 

 successful. 



The nurserymen, during the season that black scale are in condition 

 to kill, now almost universally use fumigation in the nursery bed. Then 

 during the shipping season dig their trees and place in lath houses in 

 lots of five hundred to six hundred, fumigating the second time for 

 black scale. 



If any other than black scale is found, the same method is gone 

 through, with increased amount of cyanide to do the proper work, and, 

 if found necessary, the trees are defoliated. 



In placing citrus stock in lath houses, if any red spider is found we 

 find that the best way to treat trees is to def oliate them and hand scrub 

 with whale-oil soap or resin wash. 



Charles Northcraft. 



