The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-04-08
THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIsT.

decay, prevents evaporation from with
m ana carries the ripening point to a
nlgner degree than can be obtained by
tne orange while retaining its natural
color lie says the only real injury re-
sultlng to the orange from rust is when
IL attacks the fruit while It is very young,
preventing its growth to the usual size.
Rusty oranges not only keep better-ean
be shipped greater distances, and kept
on sale for longer period-but are su-
perlor in flavor to the bright fruit.
The rust, Mr. Hubbard says, is oeea-
stoned by mite too minute to be seen
as individuals, with the uIpassisted eye-
but visible in the aggregate as fine gold
dust upon the surface OF the fruit The
same mites make their attack upon the
leaves of the tree, and it is stated as a
rule that when the foliage of tree re-
tains its gloss, the fruit will also be
bright, and when the leaves lose them
gloss and thereby indicate the presence
OF mites the fruit will be affected and
show more or less rust. He gives no
method of combating rust by special
treatment of the soil, by forcing with fer
tilizers or by high cultivation, bat claims
as an established fact, that the fruit is
less liable to rust on low than, upon high
lands. The mites are exceedingly diff
cult to kill. Various applications are
recommended. but special warning is
given to those who may undertake their
use, as there is considerable danger of
injuring the trees
If Mr.. Hubbard is correct in, his con-
illusions, as stated above, and we have
discovered nothing in our experience that
would disprove his statement, it seems
to US that the question as to whether
rust on our oranges is, any serious draw
back, is at least debatable one and if
it does in some degree affect the selling
price of the fruit, and even prove an in
jury to the trees on which thew growy a
remedy is suggested. IF the rust does
not usually affect the. fruit growing on
trees in low or moist lands, the trees
growing on higher land May be aided in
their growth as well as in the color OF
their fruit by jndicious irrigation. Water
is so abundant in this section, and every
where so near the surface. that small
wind-mills or other cheap appliances
could be used for raising and applying
water in sufficient quantitiesto groves OF
any SIZE. Irrigation is langley praetfeed
in California, and is doubtless one OF the
causes of the extraordinary size and
beauty of their fruits and vegetables but
there are some disadvantages attending
that system, as it affects the quality of
the fruit 1t has been discovered that
much of the fruit raisedlon groves where
irrigation is generally pnacticed is infer
Tor in flavor, and is not possessedef such
good keeping qualities as that grown on
dryer lands.
1T is possible that these littlemites are
giving us clue to the.solution of more
important question than the production
of the fruit. The preservation OF the frnit
is as important as its productions and if
the extraction of the oil from the Find of
the orange, by an insect, so greatly i'm
proves the keeping qualities of the fruit,
may not the attention of investigators be
attracted to the subject of an artificial
of the orange which would
cause it to keep as well without disfignr-
ing it as the rust now does. ~