REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



361 



gin lias done for cotton, which with us ninety years ago hardly had a 

 commercial value, the Serrell invention may yet do for silk, and the 

 United States become as pre-eminent for the latter and costlier product 

 as for the former and cheaper culture." 



We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Peixotto last summer at Lyons, 

 and found that he has yet the same faith in the Serrell invention, and 

 the present favor with which this machine is regarded by the ultra-con- 

 servative merchants of Lyons would seem to bear Mr. Peixotto out in 

 his prophecy. 



Letters are constantly being received from all parts of the country 

 urging that the Government use the meaus at its disposal to assist in 

 some way the creation of a home market. 



Some private attempts have been made to establish filatures, and the 

 most successful seems to be that of Mr. J. Herberlin, of New Orleans. 



Referring to his work for this year, he writes : " I continue with great 

 success in the sericicultural industry. My crop of cocoons was abundant. 

 I have made choice grain, of which I keep a certain quantity to dis- 

 tribute. My spinning-mill is in operation and using the products of 

 1884. I persist in this industry, and strive to spread it, as it promises 

 a great increase of resources to the United States. I can raise on the 

 leaves furnished by my mulberry plantation, over three millions of 

 worms. In this, its second year, I hatched sixty ounces of eggs, and 

 that has produced 5,117 pounds of cocoons, and every year I can do 

 more. * * * I employ in my spinning-mill nineteen hands, and dur- 

 ing the time of silk worm raising one hundred and twenty to one-hun- 

 dred and twenty-five persons." 



RUST OF TEE ORANGE. 

 By H. G. Hubbard, Sjwcial J gent. 

 [Plate I; and Plate IX, Fig. 5.] 



NATURE OF RUST.- 



Discoloration of the Fruit. — The brownish discoloration of the rind of 

 oranges, familiarly known under the name of u rust,' 7 has, since the 

 production of this fruit became an important industry in Florida, given 

 great concern to the producers, and occasions annually serious loss by 

 affecting injuriously the salableness of the fruit. In appearance the 

 rust varies from a light or dark-brown stain beneath the cuticle, to a 

 rough incrustation resembling an exudation of resinous gum upon the 

 surface. In the former case the golden color of the ripe orange is more 

 or less obscured, and in the latter entirely destroyed by the discolor- 

 ation. When entirely coated with rust the surface becomes finely chap- 

 ped and roughened, giving to the unripe fruit a likeness to russet ap- 

 ples. 



The season during which rust makes its appearance includes nearly 

 the entire period of growth of the fruit, beginning in early summer, 

 when the fruit has attained less than one-third its full size, and contin- 

 uing late into autumn. Its most rapid increase is, however, in August 

 and September, as the orange approaches maturity. Barely is there 

 any real increase after the rind begins to ripen, although the discolor- 

 ation usually attracts attention just at this time, and frequently occa- 



