Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-07
LOUISIANA'S ORANGES.
A LARGER YIELD THAN THAT
OF LAST YEAR EXPECTED.


NEWS correspondent, in his ramoies
around the city last evening, was intro
duced, at the new Duyal hotel, to r. L.
St. Cerre, prominent planter and orange
grower from Louisiana, who had JUST re-
turned from a flving look OF inspection
through the Orange Belt OF the state
After the usual Undergraduates about MS
trip. ana " hat he thought of the Florlda
orange croD. with both OF which he eX-
nressed himself as delighted, at the re-
dresf Of the reporter Mr.. ST. Cerre con-
scented 10 talk about the Louisiana crop.
"Well." he began, leading of without
waiting for any questioning from the
scribe. las YOU have been told am an
extensive orange grower IN Louisiana,
owning two places, and OF late years
have become deeply interested in the in
dustry. / think there is yet great Held
for profit in the orange product OF Loulsl-
ana. and pinning my faith TO this belief, l
intend to push it for all 1t is worth. There
are many others there two who are gong
into the business, and every year now the
nurseries of Florida are making increased
sales Of young trees to Louisiana plant
ers."
Can you give me an estimate of the
Louisiana crop for this year z" asked the
NEWS correspondent.
SIZE OF THE LOUISIANA CROP.
II dislike to give an estimate Of our
CROP" replied Mr.. st. Cerre, ''for the sea
son that it would be simply guess work,
as / had not Travelled we'll over our orange
territory before leaving homei but what
know Of my own groves and the crops IN
my immediate neighbOrhOod, | Will say
that the crop will be larger than last rea-
son. say about 100000 boxes. Remember
this Is half guess work, and partly based
upon the opinion of two large New Or
leans dealers with whom l talked as
came through that city. They conceded,
without knowledge Of each others figures,
that New Orleans this season would
handle 300, 600 boxes OF Louisiana's pro-
duction alone. While the crop is larger
than last year the rust is much worse and
this Will probable about equalize the val
nation OF the last two crops"
THEORIES ABOUT RUST.
You speak OF injury to your crops by
rust, Mr.. st. Cerri, what is your theory Of
its cause"
"Well, now, that's hard one, for
though there are numerous theories, it
would seem to be a problem which yet
remains to be solved. 1t is an unex-
planned phenomenon to my mind. ! used
to think rust was caused by the north
winds, but this year | have been forced
TO abandon this idea, for while two
months ago the crop promised TO
be almost entirely free from russets,
there has been such a change that fully
One-fOurth Of the crop is discOlored, and
we have had no rough weather over there
during that time. But there are many
puzzllng things about rust. The groves
on one side ola fence may bear fruit per-
fectly free from stain, while on the other
the fruit is black: the best trimmed trees
on the plantation may be laden with din
gy oranges, and the worst tended trees
show naught but golden skins.
Il have thought and studied much upon
the subject, and to my mind. the theory
advanced by II. &. Hubbard. a special
agent OF the United States chronological
Department. is the most plausible. He
maintains that it is an insect, and backs
up his theory by saying: If we examine
critically with hand lens of considerable
magniiying power the surface of rusted
orange. we viii find here and there in the
depressiOns groups OF white filaments
adhering close TO the rind. Carefully
transferring one Of these filaments to the
stage Of a compound microscope, and
applying a power OF several hundred
diameters. the character OF the object is
clearly shown. 1t is the cast skin Of an
insect
II the examination chance TO be made
In winter. when the fruit is ripe, the num-
Der of these exuViae viii not be strikingly
great. But il made in autumn or late
summer, the surface OF every orange
showing rust will be found thickly
sprinkled with them, and we should be
forced TO conclude that We have before us
the relics OF a numerous colony. which
at some former period infested the fruit.
Extending the examination 10 fruit that
as yet shows no indication of rust. we
viii, II the season Is not too far advanced,
obtain abundant confirmation Of this con-
clusiOn. and find these colonies IN the ull
tide Of their existence. The former occu-
pants Of the cast skins prove To be elOn-
gate mites, Of houey-yellow color. too mi
mute 10 be seen as individuals with the
unassisted eye, but visible in the aggre-
gate as u fine golden dust upon the sur.
face of the fruit.
MITE ON THE LEAVES.
Having tracked the mite by means
Of it's teli-tale eXuyi1, and de-
tected it at work upon the fruit, il
we turn our attention to the leaves it
needs no prolonged search To discover IL
here also, aud IN even greater abundance.
In fact, II is evidently upon the leaves
that the mites exist and propagate
throughout the year; for not only are thew
found upon fruiting trees, but upon plants
or all ages, in the nursery as well as in
the grove.
Nothing resembling the rust Of the
fruit follows their attacks upon the
leaves. Each puncture of toe mite gives
rise 70 minute pimple or elevation until
the surface Of the leaf becomes finely cor
rugated, loses its gloss, ana assumes a
corroded and dusty appearance.
This furnished appearance Of the foliage
Is very characteristic, and remains a per-
manent indication of their depredatiOns,
after the mites themselves have disap-
peared.
ANATIvE OF CHINA.
ats orlginY continued Mr.. st. Cerre,
swell, l learn it is a native OF China,
hence rusty oranges all over the world.
outside OF the Celestial Empire, are
known as lokahoma oranges. IL made
its first appearance in Louisiana in 1872.
on the Etingh8m Lawrence plantation,
known now as the Magnolia plantation,
and owned by eX-Goy. WarmOth. II did
not extend 20 any great extent until about
siX years ago, since which time it has
affected the crop from One-siXth 10 one.
quarter, but has made no steady progress,
though | must confess that the portion
affected this year show more real black
rust than ever before.
ITS COMMERCIAL RESULTS.
The commercial results Of rust are
somewhat singular. The insect, disease,
or whatever II may be, does not In the
slightest depreciate the flavor Of the fruit;
some say that the russets are sweeter and
better Than the bright fruit. IL does