No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 771 



have been found thus far have not been able to keep it in check. 

 The Chinese lady bugs have been imported, but with them have come 

 parasites for their own destruction, offering but little hope for re- 

 lief from that source. 



Another reason wiiy it is so dillicult to control, is because it can- 

 not be destroyed by ordinary insecticides. It is a suctorial insect, 

 and Paris green or Bordeaux mixture have no effect whatever. It 

 not only sucks the sap from the tree, but injects a poisonous liquid 

 into the living tissue that probably does more damage than loss of 

 sap. The scale attacks nearly all kinds of fruit trees and many 

 kinds of shade and forest trees, and will kill a tree in from two to 

 five years. It revels in the milky juice of the osage orange, and 

 premises in proximity to osage hedges are in constant danger of in- 

 festation. 



I am often asked how San Jos6 Scale is disseminated or carried 

 from place to place? When in its young or free-moving stage it 

 is readily carried by other insects, by birds, cats, squirrels, Vvind, 

 by horses, and the clothing of workmen. It is not carried on fruit 

 in shipment from place to place or to foreign countries, and laws 

 prohibiting the importation of our fruits into foreign countries on 

 account of San Jos^ Scale are unjust and based upon ignorance of 

 biological facts. 



As to remedies, the lime, salt and sulphur wash has proven safest 

 and most satisfactory. It is cheayj and will not only destroy San 

 Jos^ Scale if properly prepared and applied, but is an excellent fun- 

 gicide as well. The caustic soda and water application which has 

 recently been recommended, must be abandoned. If strong enough 

 to kill scale it will also injure the trees. Now, the question is what 

 are we going to do? I have been trying to decide, after having cor- 

 responded with many of our citizens upon this subject and having 

 studied their replies, my conclusion is that orchard inspection should 

 be under the supervision of State officials, and that they should de- 

 cide W'hat shall be done. No infested trees should be permitted to 

 stand without treatment. The next legislature should make an ap- 

 propriation to defray the expense of such inspection, and enact a 

 law providing for the examination of private orchards and prem- 

 ises, and when deemed necessary, authority should be given to order 

 infested trees destroyed, with or without compensation, as the law 

 may provide. It might be said, I have drawn a very gloomy picture 

 of the future for the fruit grower. In a measure that is true, but 

 withal there is still a promising outlook for profit and success in 

 that line. The business will be more expensive and will entail more 

 labor and trouble, and very close attention; but the prospect for a 



