Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-09

$3.50 -
are suggesting ana in some cases
brute force must be used in order
to prevent the insect hosts gaining
recruits from Jul own ranks. Per
sonally, when in Mexico City with
my family. / ate many sweet
oranges as did my family. until
n of my daughters discovered a
small flesh colored maggot crawl
ing out of a section Of orange that
she was splitting up. I thorough
w examined this orange ana dis
covered several more worms and
then l opened various others and
found nearly every ore badly m
tested. We had been eating dozens
Of maggots without knowing it, but
OF course they gave the fruit that
delicious. meaty flavor that 50
many like.
Flies Found
But We ate no more oranges in
Mexico City. / made careful in
uuiries and found the fruit was
from the state of Morelos and was
infested with what we call the
Morelos fruit fly maggot. This pest
has caused U growers much loss
and worry, but can be easily con-
trolled and If the few who are fight
ing us will sign UP with us. we
will soon be out Of any severe quar-
antine. If not entirely out. But
o we are face TO face with our
greatest menace. the Mediterran-
can fruit fly. a fly that attacks
not only oranges and grapefruit. but
lemons, lines. loquats. kumquats.
peaches, pears. apples. cherries.
plums. grapes and all other fruits
excepting only watermelons and
pineapples.
In addition. ii attacks nearly all
vegetables and will propagate in
cactus and punctured cotton bolls.
AT present 1t Is known that II has
as hosts II fruits and vegetables.
SO that If ID gains a f0othold in
Texas we are certain that once
more the insect horde has won
against man. as IL would be posi-
lively impossible to exterminate or
even satisfactorily control it. All
we have TO do is to study the dis
aster that has overtaken Florida in
order 70 see what a terrible enemy
has attacked us at this time.
Can Florida with the assistance
Of the federal authorities win out?
Quien sabe? But SO serious IS the
matter that the federal government
has appropriated S4.5O0.OC0 as a be-
ginning and another ten millions
is asked for. But while trainloads
Of oil and other supplies have been
rushed in and the ground OF in
tested localities is being baked by
terrific heat from huge burners in
order to kill the maggotS that have
entered the ground and millions OF
dollars worth Of fruit and vege-
tables have already been DESTROYED.
the people are in despair and thou
sands are reported as leaving. Nat
urally, they remember the fate OF
the Hawaiian Islands where this
vicious insect gained a foothold
many years ago and succeeded in
destroying practically the entire
fruit and vegetable industry Of the
islands.
Texas Threatened
And now. all Texas Is threatened
and Is in the greatest danger. be-
cause considerable quantities az
Florida citrus fruits are in storage
or in the hands Of merchants in
various sections Of the state and
this fruit is still being sold. All Of
IL came in before we placed an
embargo against Florida fruit and
at both Dallas and Fort Worth
fruit containing the maggotS has
been destroyed by inspectors. being
infested. AS the worms are now
emerging and going into the
ground for the pupae stage, every
fruit being offered for sale is :
potential source Of infestation ard
I believe every Florida citrus fruit
in u state should be searched cut
and destroyed. no matter what the
cost. There is no other safe method
and the cost, If the pest gains =
foothold anywhere in Texas, Is 700
IeTTlOle 10 contemplate.
And TO think that Commissioner
OF Agriculture Terrell has only
around eleven inspectors TO cover
the whole state. But even with a
hundred inspectors. infested fruit
may escape though carefully exam
ined. The tiny opening through
which the female fly deposits the
eggs is not noticeable. while the
maggots are thin little crawlers
ranging from one t~wenty-fifth or
an inch to one-eighth inch long.
At certain stages they may not be
discovered at all.
The female fly deposits IN the
fruit or vegetable up to 600 eggs
in all and these may be deposited
in several hosts. They hatch in q
few days Of deposited in ripe fruit
or vegetables and remain in the
larvae or maggot stage up 70 rev.
eral weeks. If in green fruit the