No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 606 



believe this to be the case, while fourteen say they have not observed 

 any increase. The report, however, is exceedingly encouraging. 

 Nature study in our public schools is not compulsory as in some 

 other states. The teaching of the subject is purely optional in 

 Pennsylvania. We believe our State Horticultural Association and 

 all kindred organizations should work unitedly for the addition of 

 nature study to the curriculum of our public schools. An immense 

 amount of good is being done in New York State by the teaching 

 of nature study, and we would see the same desirable results in 

 Pennsylvania. The farm would be better liked by our boys and 

 the business of farming would be more popular. The power of ob- 

 servation would be developed and perhaps the next generation of 

 fruit growers would detect the presence and destructiveness of in- 

 sect and disease pests before they have worked «uch great devasta- 

 tion as has been the case with the San Jos^ Scale. Natul'e study 

 in our schools would impart a vast amount of useful knowledge to 

 the students. It would create an intense love for the beautiful and 

 interesting things of nature which is woefully wanting in the aver- 

 age country boy or girl and without this love for nature we cannot 

 look for happy, contented farmers in the future. 



SPRAYING. 



Spraying is limited mostly to rather extensive commercial planta- 

 tions. The results where the work is done with care and skill, are 

 very satisfactory. The practice of spraying is growing slowly but 

 surely. 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 



The San Jos^ Scale is the Goliath of the Pennsylvania fruit 

 grower. Although unlike Goliath in stature, he is well armored 

 and fully as powerful in his particular work of destruction, and it 

 takes a real David to meet him successfully on the battle field. 

 Many a fruit grower has not had the nerve to tackle the San Jos^ 

 Goliath. They ha^e stood off afar and this giant has had his own 

 way in slaying trees by the thousands. Others have mustered to- 

 gether enough courage to go out and meet him, but failed to slay 

 the monster because not trained from their youth up. But the 

 Davids, thoughtful, trained, brave, confident, have gone forth with 

 slings loaded with lime, salt and sulphur, and by waging an un- 

 flinching warfare the enemy has been slain. 



The San Jos^ Scale is evidently present in greater or less num- 

 ber in probably every county of the State, althoucrh a few corres- 

 pondents say they do not know it to be present. Four-fifths of the 

 correspondents claim that it is multiplying and spreading rapidly, 

 the other fifth holding the opposite view or that it is actually de- 

 creasing. The damage is variable. The insect has not made ma- 

 terial headway in some orchards and no real damage has been done. 

 We thing it safe to say that the damages have not yet proved seri- 

 ous in more than half the counties. But the reports from many 

 counties, particularly in the southeastern part of the State, indicate 

 heavy damages. Losses and damage are expressed as follows: 



"Some trees killed." "many orchards ruined," "thousands of trees 

 killed," "a serious matter," "much damage done," "thousands of 

 dollars lost," etc. 

 33 



