516 ANNUAL REPORT OP THE Off. Doc. 



Simply as a business proposition, I contend that every dollar in- 

 vested by the State in this direction will be returned to the State 

 tenfold; yes, an hundred-fold. 



I would have the work of this Department confined not only sim- 

 ply to the encouragement of the development of our fruit interests, 

 but to the adornment of our yards and lawns. It is not surprising 

 that the average farmer feels that he has neither the time nor the 

 means to do much in the direction of floral decorations about his 

 place, and yet in the majority of cases on his own farm and along the 

 roadside can be found beautiful and desirable native flowers, 

 shrubs, and vines, which can easily and quickly be dug and trans- 

 planted, and so arranged as to make the bare, forlorn corners and 

 edges of bis front yard very attractive to the eye. A little work in 

 this direction and possibly a little money expended on varieties that 

 do not grow in his neighborhood, would very quickly make his place 

 worth more to sell, and vastly more to keep. 



"HOW SAN JOSE SCALE TRAVELS." 



HISTORICAL. 



By Dii. Geo. G. Gropp, Lewishurg, Pa. 



In 1887 the writer began to plant fruit trees on the south side of 

 Lewisburg. In the same year, Mr. G. Wolfe planted on the west 

 of the town, in the village of Linntown. In 1893, the trees and 

 plants on both our properties were dying from San Josd Scale. 

 They were infested sometime prior to 1893. My property is im- 

 mediately adjoining Lewisburg. Mr. Wolfe's is one-fourth mile to 

 the west. Until 1902, the scale was not perceptible in my end of 

 town. It has not yet appeared in west end, and Mr. Wolfe tells 

 me that none of his neighbors have as yet complained of the Scale. 

 South of my property, within a half mile are three orchards. Scale 

 was observed two years ago in one of these, but upon newly planted 

 plum trees. The nearest orchard to mine is about 300 yards and is 

 not yet infested. Across the river one-half mile is an orchard in- 

 fested, though 3'oung trees. In Germantown, Pa., the scale is known 

 to have traveled one mile since 1896. In the writer's observation 

 the scale travels with extreme slowness, after being once planted in 

 an orchard, 



HOW IT TRAVELS. 



It walks for a few days after birth and at a rapid rate for so small 

 a creature. In Central Pennsylvania it can be seen moving first 

 about June 15th, and from that time, so long as there are warm 

 days, even until in November. It certainly walks to adjoining trees 

 where branches interlace, and so spreads rapidly. It also spreads 

 in this way rapidly in nursery rows. 



Given an infested tree, it spreads in an orchard, very slowly, to 

 the trees immediately adjacent, and so passes in time over the or- 

 chard. It would seem that it can sometimes get from tree to tree 



