770 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The President stated that the next topic; on the program is one 

 of the most important that has ever confronted the fruit growers of 

 the State, and one in which every farmer and fruit grower has a 

 deep personal interest. We have with us Prof. H. A. Surface, of 

 Harrisburg, the Economic Zoologist of the State, who will address 

 vou. 



WHAT LEGISLATION FOR SAN JOSE SCALE? 



liY PROi\ H. A. SuuFACB, Economic Zoologist, Harrishurg, Pa. 



I admit the great importance of the subject as just indicated by 

 our President, and the responsibility resting upon me in opening 

 this discussion. I have never api)eared before an audience when 

 I felt so much at a loss as to the proper course to suggest. 



It seems to me we are not so much in need of remedies as legisla- 

 tion, and I trust this discussion will bring out some hints as to what 

 legislation is necessary and how it can best be secured. 



I am here in Lancaster county because sometime ago I had an 

 engagement to spray some trees for one of your citizens who had 

 invited his friends to be present and see a public demonstration of 

 the work, and which engagement I was very reluctantly compelled 

 to cancel. I then promised the citizens of this vicinity special aid 

 in suppressing the San Jos6 Scale as soon as possible. I am here, 

 too, because as horticulturists and fruit growers we are "up against" 

 the most serious and destructive pest we have ever known. I have 

 with me some reports and papers from other states, and from Can- 

 ada, showing how very destructive San Jos6 Scale is and how diffi- 

 cult, even with the greatest care and best cultivation, it will prove 

 to save our trees and orchards from destruction. From Tennessee 

 we have a statement that unless some relief be found, fruit interests 

 will be seriously handicapped; and we have similar reports from 

 more than half the states in the Union. Few fruit growers seem to 

 realize its serious import, and consequently are giving it little at- 

 tention. 



One reason this pest is so destructive is, that it is so small that its 

 presence is not noted until serious injury has been done, and its 

 effects are not noticed until too late to apply successful remedies. 

 It has few natural enemies. Another, is, that it multiplies with as- 

 tounding rapidity, a single pair being able to produce over three 

 V^illions of descendants in a season. The few natural enemies that 



