The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-06-18
Insects in Florida.


the following extract, interesting to our
fruit-growers. We will make other ref
ence to this valuable work as we have
space to do so:
ORANGE RUST MITE, MEALY BUG, AND TAP
ROOT DISEASE.
Having business near Orange Lake
during the past week, | visited several
orange groves. / found all the Florida
varieties of scale insects in abundance.
Oranges are already rusty, and the rust
mite in many places, on both leaves and
fruit, in such large numbers as to give
distinct coloration, distinguishable at a
distance of ten feet.
But the most destructive insect, at
present absorbing all the attention of the
orange growers there, is the mealy bug,
Dacfylopius destructor. This insect
causes the fruit to rot under the colonies.
a fayorite place of Judgment is at the
stem, under the calyx; the result is, the
fruit drops.
4 strong stream of water was tried
and proved effective, but laborious, and
the insects falling to the ground were not
killed.
Experiment with solution of muryite,
made under microscope, showed that
in all cases where the solution came into
actual contact with the skin OF the insect
the bug was instantly killed. Acting
upon this and the knowledge gained by
previous observation and experiment, |
fried the effect of fine solid stream
issuing under pressure, using solution
of muryite, one part, to water two hum
dred and fifty parts The results were
excellent; the solution being forced into
the colonies broke them up, and coming
into contact with the insects killed them,
the method of working being one man at
the pump, another to guide the stream.
The apparatus improvised being badly
ADAPTED to the purpose is very awkward.
The work, although about four times as
fast as with the bellows atomizer, is not
adouate to the economical requirements.
This method has the merit OF no loss by
damage to fruit or leaves by the material
used the waste, falling on the leaves
and branches, will eXterminate both
scale insects and rust mites, these being
plentiful, but neglected in the presence
of the more pressing necessityot saving
the growing crop from destruction by the
mealy bug.
Business required my presence at
home. so was obliged to leave. AS | can
do SO. | will try and fit up an apparatus
adapted to this work. Having none OF
the insects here, or, as far as | know,
nearer than the lake, twenty miles dis
1t Ffcanopy 7o9ffd eegglllsafaTsiltt Ms at
trees dying slowly from some unknown
cause Some TIME ago \ induced one
person to dig under the lateral roots and
examine the tap root of tree in SINH
lar condition result, bark of tap root not
all rotten. | was not present to examine
1t. The tree being large and yielding
well, the owners gepeyatT any act that
~ HAY expose the roots and increase the
damage; but the matter is important and
statements are confused; some say that
4 white worm causes it; others, white
ants; others, wood lice | have found
trees damaged by each of them, but they
differ from the case at Micanopy. /
have heard OF it being serious at other
places.
Can you advise me of the, best means
OF proceeding, what to look for, and how
to look for it, so that if / have opportu-
nifty ! may intelligently search into the
matter Jos. NoYLE, Gainesville, Fla,
June u, 1888.
This disease of the larger is supposed
by Mr.. Hubbard and others to be caused
by the tap-root reaching water and de-
caying in consequence
PARA ATERRIMA INJuRING STRAWBERRIES.
sent you some Larvae of the straw
perry crown-borer in potato this morn
ing. ! have few more now and will
SEND them the same way, except | will
lnclose some damp soil with them. |
think they do not eat now, for | find
them In little cavity in the earth, not
Tar from the surface. / have been ac-
quainted with this pest for ten years.
and receive plants from all parts of the
country that have been injured by it.
The injury it does by boring into the
crown is as nothing compared with what
IL does to the roots, eating off the bark
and line roots. Soon after the roots are
injured the leaves get rusty and finally
dle; The inner leaves lose their glossy
and healthy appearance. Where there
are plenty they will injure the roots Of
young runners almost as fast as new
plants are formed. 1t is common to find
runner with four or FIVE plants. the
Oldest of which will have its roots ruin
ca, the next two more or less damaged,
ana the youngest uninjured. Plants set
In spring to be grown in hill will flourish
III July or Auhust, then send out weak.
slender runners, commence to rust, and
dle. Ihese Larvae never bore down the
center OF the crown, but down and part
way around the outside, and some times
horizontally into the confer. am not
sure 1t is the crown borer at all. A few
years ago received plants from Dimon-
dale, Mich, where Professor Cook first
saw the strawberry-root worm. If this
is it have had it ten years in this town,
The plants | speak OF were greatly in
jured the first season, so that had to
remove them, As soon as / see bed
where this pest is at work, i can tell bv