116 Ninth Annual Report of the 



of " hospital " stock usually prove breeding-grounds for most 

 pests, while young, thrifty and highly cultivated plats are more 

 often free from insect pests, though not necessarily exempt. 

 One-half of the infestations were on premises of less than five 

 acres. One of the most serious infestations was of less than 

 50 trees, scattered through a block of 20,000 apple trees. Sev- 

 eral places of less than 2,000 trees were slightly infested, but 

 in serious shape because of infested orchard trees nearby. 



While the extermination of the scale is the principal work of 

 the inspectors, the law provides in general terms for other 

 insect pests and fungous diseases. Considerable work has been 

 done in checking the spread of caterpillars, borers, aphides and 

 other insect pests, and crown gall, black-knot and other fungous 

 diseases. 



The increased appropriation for orchard inspection over last 

 year enabled the Department to in part satisfy the orchardists 

 in the various sections of the State who have been very urgent 

 for an inspection of their orchards. The San Jose" scale and 

 peach yellows are such serious pests that they cause much alarm 

 among fruit-growers when their presence is found in an orchard 

 section. Seven hundred and sixty-six orchards, embracing 

 9,718 acres, were carefully examined, and the scale found in 140. 

 Some trees were in a rapidly failing condition. Some large 

 orchards have small centers of infestation, and it is hoped that 

 in such cases the scale may be controlled by the energetic 

 efforts of the owner. It is the policy of the Department, which 

 is generally recommended, that all badly infested trees shall 

 be at once burned, and the remainder treated with approved 

 oily sprays or fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas. 



Many experiments have been directed by the Department with 

 petroleum and the results have been favorable to a great extent. 

 In some cases all the scales have been destroyed; in others the 

 larger percentage were killed — in fact, nearly all — but enough 

 scale survived to require watchfulness and further application 

 of the spray the coming season. Persistent care and proper 

 spraying with 25 per cent petroleum with water, by an accurate 



