ORANGE CULTURE, 



head, from which it projects red filaments, and opens its large 

 mouth like a snarling dog when disturbed. 



Until within the last year or two there were various opin- 

 ions about the cause of the rusty appearance of so many Florida 

 oranges ; now, however, no doubt remains on the subject. It is 

 caused by a minute insect, called the rust mite, that would never 

 have been discovered but for the microscope being applied to the 

 orange while still on the trees, for within half an hour after the 

 fruit is taken from its parent stem every insect has disappeared. 

 The mite punctures the oil cells, the oil exudes and becomes 

 oxidized, and hence the dark appearance and hard, rusty skin 

 of the fruit. 



This appearance damages the sale of the orange, but does 

 not impair its quality ; in fact, it appears rather to develope its 

 saccharine qualities. Place before a Florida child two oranges, 

 one bright, one rusty, and it will seize the rusty one first. The 

 rusty orange, protected from the air by its hard dry skin, ships 

 much better than the bright; and, so, if it were not for the dam- 

 age done to the looks, and hence to the sale of the fruit, there 

 would be little fault found with the mite. 



This one consideration, however, is enough to cause war to 

 l)e declared against it ; but, fortunately, remedies have been found, 

 to which we shall presently refer. 



One other insect we shall mention, because it is very easily 

 ^een, and its destructive operations openly conducted right under 

 one's eyes — he is a bold, fearless marauder. Professor Riley, of 

 t^e Agricultural Department, calls him Euthodha galeator. 



He resembles greatly the well-known squash bug, and de- 

 lights to insert his strong proboscis in the tenderest shoots to be 

 found, causing them to wilt and droop to their death, even while 

 he robs them of the food on which they live. 



The insect is one of the chief causes, if not the chief, of tB& 

 so-called disease of die-hack. 



We have now described, so far as the limits of our present 

 •work wall permit, the chief enemies and friends of the orange 

 tree, and will now proceed to give the most effective weapons 

 with which the former may be conquered. 



