16 



In relation to wood-bo- ing beetles, it must be observed thai orange 

 trees are very often found to be more or less hollow, and this is espe- 

 cially so among old trees, some of them being supported by little more 

 than the bark. 



The cause of this hollowness amon» orange trees is not fully under- 

 stood, but facts seem to point to the boring larva above referred to, 

 and possibly to the second, mentioned further on, as the primary agents 

 in an evil, that, later is carried on by the white, or duck ants, or more 

 correctly speaking, Termites. These latter take advantage of the en- 

 trance made by the beetle larva, and the consequent decay set up in 

 the wood, to £;»in admittance, when it becomes only a question of 

 time to bring the tiees to their shell-like state. 



That orange trees do not suffer more from these severe attacks, can 

 only be accounted for by their wonder hil vitality and hardihood, and 

 their adaptability to our soil and climate ^ut it is most unlikely that 

 trees so hollowed out can live as long, or bd as prolific as those in a 

 sound condition . 



It is therefore important to see that the " borer" does not grain an 

 entrance to the tree, and when it does, to stop its ravages at once. 



Remedies. 



To do this, it is of course nejessary to destroy any of the beetles 

 whenever po sible, and in cases where the tree is seen to be attacked 

 T)y the larvae, the loose bark and wood in such places should be re- 

 moved, and the holes or channels searched by a wire, or some sharp 

 pointed instrument, and the larvae killed. After this, a thick lime 

 wash, composed of one part of arsenic to a hundred parts of lime, 

 should be applied to the trunk and larger branches. 



A simple w-sh of lime and water will often preserve trees against 

 the attacks of boring insects, but the wash must be renewed once in 

 three weeks. 



Special wash preparations for preventing borers attacking trees are 

 sold, such as rosin and castor oil, whale oil soap and washing soda, soft 

 soap and carbolic acid ; but these must not be allowed to remain on the 

 trees longer than two or three months at most. 



(2) The Orange Weevil. 



The other bfetle destructive to our citrus trees is the well known, 

 and common "orange weevil," — Praepodes vittatus. This beetle is a 

 representative of a West Indian group that is included in a larger group 

 or family termed Curculionidae. The species of this family are ex- 

 ceedingly numerous, and many are very brilliantly coloured. They 

 are entirely herbivorous, some feeding upon leaves, others on seeds, and 

 some on stems of various plants and trees, while others do great dam- 

 age to grain, as in the cas j of th • corn weevil In movement they are 

 slow, their cushioned feet indicating strong adhesive rather than walk- 

 ing powers. When alarmed, ihey fall to the ground, or suddenly take 

 wing ; many species however, are destitute of the organs of flight, as in 

 them the elytra or wing-she.iths are soldered together. 



The larvae of this family are voracious, fleshy, footless grubs, though 

 possessing a double row of retractile fleshy tubercles in the place of legs. 



The orange weevils measure from half an inch to an inch and a 

 quarter long, and they constitute a variety of local forms, most of which 



