300 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the section between the Mississippi river and the Alleghany mountains. If 

 he finds it on the soutli side of the orchard, or the west side of the 

 orchard, then he had better loolv out; they will be carried by the wind in 

 just precisely the same way that the wind will carry a i^rairie fire. It is 

 just as true in this case as it is of the fire, and it will carry it over a large 

 orchard in precisely the same shape; if you know the shape it will take, 

 then you know what the condition is in regard to this insect. 



The Osage hedge is the worst thing we have to deal with. The birds 

 nest in the hedge and feed in the orchards, and they will carry it on their 

 feet to the orchards, and they will bring it from the orchards to the hedge; 

 they will go about in an infested orchard and bring the insects back on 

 them to their nests, and they Avill carry them from their nests out in the 

 same way, and in that way it is spread. 



We find the winds have very much to do with spreading it. For in- 

 stance, a peach orchard is planted upon the side of a hill. We have 

 sometimes found that this got started at the foot of the hill in a gully. 

 Now, the current of air that passes up through that* gully will carry the 

 scale and we will trace it out that way. If we find at the foot of the 

 hill the surface is practically level, it will spread less rapidly, showing 

 that the winds have much to do with it. 



I would say that we have occasionally found trees with one or two 

 limbs badly infested with this scale, and no more trees in the orchard 

 infested. Perhaps upon investigation we would find that one mile or. a 

 mile and a half or two miles from it was an infested .orchard, and the way 

 we explain that is that a bird has come from the infested orchard and 

 alighted on this limb and carried on its feet those insects. We have a 

 good illustration of that over here near the mouth of the Maumee river. 

 There is a large peach orchard with several infested trees scattered 

 through it, and there is no other way for that to happen than by the birds 

 carrying it, coming across the bay at the mouth of the Maumee river. 

 There is plenty of scale on the other side. 



Perhaps I ought to explain to you a little more in detail how it comes 

 we get so much information in i-egard to this insect. Tavo years ago the 

 legislature gave us fifteen thousand dollars to use in stamping out the scale 

 where we could find that it was established, and we have had no trouble 

 whatever in finding out where it was established. I have found that a 

 single report on cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland or Toledo means four or 

 five months' work for twelve" or fifteen inspectors. But we have had 

 these men working in them for considerably over a year, not quite two 

 years, in going through this territory and inspecting it. It means not 

 only an orchard, but it means square miles. I presume the men have 

 been over territory including not less than one hundred square miles, 

 locating it, marking the trees. A tree, where the expense of treating it 

 is more than the tree is worth, is marked with a white cross. When 

 treatment is recommended It is marked with a straight white mark. Now, 



