Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-12-15

CULTURE OF THE ORANGE.-We had but space
in our last issue to announce the safe return OF
Mr.. Glover, the Patent Office Entomologist from a
successful mission to Florida. 1t will be remenl-
bered that this gentleman was sent out, about six
months since, to gain information concerning the
insects that prey upon the cotton, the orange and
other products Of the Land of Flowers. His OBJ
servations have been most interesting, and will
constitute valuable chapter in that annual COM
pendium Of useful knowledge, the Patent Office
Reports.
In East Florida, Mr. Giover's observations were
almost exclusively confined to the insects that
SO destructive, and which has desolated so many
fair fields on the St. Johns, is small scale insect
or coccus, very minute, of brownsh color and
elongated shape, resembling in many respects one
of the shells OF a muscle. Under cover of this
shell and protected by it, the small worm or grub
extracts the juices Of the plant by means of a
piercer on the under side and eventually multplies
to such degree, that the stem, branches and
leaves become covered, as it were, with coating
consisting of myriads of these insects constantly
draining the tree of its sap, until at last the leaves
turn yellow and fall and the orange unable to sus-
tain such horde of depredators at last peffshes
The female scale insect lays her eggs in two pa
ralel rows under Of the scale, and gradually
diminishes in size as the eggs are laid, until at
length she occupies only the smaller end of the
scale and perishes. The young female cocci are
Matched in regular succession as the eggs were
deposited, and emerge from under the parental
shell at the larger end. They are now provided
with six legs and crawl about the leaf or branch
until suitable permanent residence is found where
they can suck the juice of the tree in ease and
comfort; here they "squat," a case is formed
over them and they remain glued to the spot for
lifetime
The case of the male is much smaller than that
OF the female. The grub underneath this changes
into pupa and eventually into very minute fly,
furnished with six legs, two long antenna and two
transparent wings.
Where the scale insect has once made its ap-
pearance it is almost impossible to grow the orange
to perfection. Groves Of trees once Furnishing in
Florida, and source of great profit to the owners
have had to be cut down.
Various remedies, as we learn from Mr.. Glover,
have been suggested, one of which has proved
successful in some instances, but not in all. This
remedy consists Of washing the tree with wash
composed of one gallon of water, one gallon of
whisky and four ounces of aloes This ought tobe
renewed every two weeks until the insect disap-
pears, as, although all the living insects may be
destroyed, yet the unmatched eggs being protected
by the parental shell, are not affected by it.
Highly manuring the tree, SO as to cause vigorous
growth, has likewise been recommended, as like
wise several other remedies too numerous to men,
ton here, but until regular experiments are made
and reported on, there can be no certainty as to
the best method Of destroying this highly perni-
cious insect.
Mr.. Glover has also with him minute drawings of
other insects, in different stages of their history,
which prey upon the orange, the lemon and the
oleander, and which, combined with descriptions of
their habits the result Of patient personal observa
ton, must prove Of great value to our neighbors,
who are SO deeply interested in their cultivation
Mr.. Glover is confident in the belief that East
Florida offers as profitable field for the cultiva
ton of the orange as any part of the world, not
excepting the golden fields Of the SiciIies.
r. [SHnanah Georgian
HEAVY EXPRESS RusINEss -Tha Schenecta-