The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-08-24
THE WHITE FLY.
How To Destroy the Pest-WilI the
Brown Fungus Do 1t?

| tinued spread OF the white fly (alley-
shodes citrii), and of the consequent
alarm and Encouragement. feel that
/ may do some good for the orange
industry by giving you some facts
of my experience, for publication in
your valuable paper For the sake Of
brevity this article will be somewhat
didactic, but every statement here can
easily be proven true by everyone who
will investigate.
One of the first places infested by
white flies was Manatee county, in
Fair Oaks Grove" less than one mile
from my nursery. BY closing my
grounds to the passage of persons in
teams and thoroughly spraying every
Itree on which could find a pupae or
a fly, kept them from becoming
numerous, for several years. Within
three or four years the RED Fungus
appeared, and gave US hope, but the
fungus could not cope with the flies
as it only increased by spores. About
this time planting of citrus trees al
most ceased here. Two or three years
after this, while Prof. H. ]. Weber
was here on a visit, he found some
of the Brown Fungus, and gave us
more hope. The Red Fungus is quite a
help, but it cannot increase as fast as
the flies. But, with favorable condi-
tions cheat and plenty of RAIN, the
Brown Fungus can increase many
Thousand times faster than the white
lhy.
On the End of August, 1902, care
fully looked all over my nursery trees
to find for shipment, some Fungus
trees that had been ordered. | found
Ino good ripe" fungus, but did find
from 400 to 1000 live pupae on each
leaf. One week later, August 9th,
examined again, and on ten leaves
there were only live pupae, SO in one
week the Brown Fungus had destroy
ed more than SO per cent of the pu-
lpae.
Since both these fungi became fair
ly well scattered and we have learned
what they could do for us, tree plant
ling commenced again. Florida Stats
ties will show that this county has
raised and shipped more oranges per
lcapita, than any other county; also
the acres of new groves here show
that we have been planting as many
trees annually as other counties.
When conditions are not favorable to
the development of the fungus the
flies will increase and do damage
sometimes, or sometimes they will al
most prevent any crop, but since the
fungi got well spread, only once have
the flies reduced our crop about % per
lcent, and two or three seasons about
10 per cent, but most seasons our
groves bear all they can on the fer
tilizing and cultivation they get.
Before the fungi appeared the flies
seemed to weaken the trees so that
the common long and chaff scale null
ltiplied SO rapidly that they made the
ltrees looked sorry" damaged them
seriously. AS soon as Prof Weber
located" the Brown Fungus, | plant
ed small trees in cans and put them
among the large trees having the fun
gus. In Few weeks the fungus was
on my nursery trees. Then | moved
them to my nursery and grove trees,
so | got the fungi started by the time
the flies became so numerous, so my
trees were not seriously hurt by the
scales.
All groves that get a start of the
fungi by the time the flies become
thick. escape the severe visitation of
the scales. And yet the white fly is
a great plague and should be kept
out'' as long as possible. In summer
time they breed on many annual
weeds, rose bushes, and ornamental
plants, SO there is but little chance
but what ultimately they will be ev-
erywhere south of 33 or "a N. L. |
know it is possible to make a culture
lof the Brown Fungus, that we can
spray on our trees in dry weather and
get it actively to work; also fungus
will yet be found that will kill the
winged white fly. Professor Gossard
was working ON the culture problem
when he left Lake City, and Now
Professor Berger is looking after a
fungus that will attack the fly and
ldestroy it as the Brown and Red Fun
gus destroy the pupae. Then we may
see the last of the white fly. At pres
lent the Brown and Red Fungi will
enable US to produce profitable crops
Iof oranges and peaches, and no per-
son should be seriously discouraged.
IA. ]. Pettigrew. of Manatee County.
in Florida Agriculturalist.