No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 353 



year 1908. Among these the San Jos6 Scale ranks first for actual 

 destruction effected. It is still destroying not only thousands, but 

 millions of dollars worth of trees in this State, and has in many 

 cases killed the trees entirely, leaving them dead and bare, although, 

 fortunately, many persons in each county have learned to control it, 

 aind produce first-class fruit in spite of its presence. Based upon 

 the knowledge of this fact, many persons are planting more exten- 

 sively than ever before, and there is distinct evidence that tfruit 

 groAving is to be differentiated from farming, and most of our fruits 

 will be produced by horticulturists, and our farm crops by agricul- 

 turists. 



The San J'0s,6 Scale, while destroying neglected trees, has in many 

 cases been a benefit to progressive fruit growers. It has forced 

 them to study the subject and produce more and better fruits than 

 they would have had, were it not for the scale. An example of this 

 is seen in the results of Mr. D. M. Wertz, of Quincy, who on only 140 

 acres of land produced and marketed $60,000 worth of peaches. 

 Another, is that of Mr. C. C. Gelwicks, a banker of St. Thomas, who 

 cleaned up a badly-infested apple orchard with two sprayings of 

 the Lime-sulfur wash. This is the material that was used in each 

 instance, and is today both the cheapest and best remedy for the 

 San Jos^ Scale. i ■ 



2. The Brown-tail Moth is a most serious pest which has not yet 

 found its way into Pennsylvania, so far as we know, but we stand 

 in imminent danger of its immediate introduction. This winter hun- 

 dreds of shipments of seedlings, nursery stock and rose bushes from 

 France to the United States have contained the larvse of this most 

 destructive moth. Mr. Atwood, Nursery Inspector of New York, 

 reports having found almost two hundred webs on imported nursery 

 stock, and Prof. Smith, State Entomologist of New Jersey, reports 

 having found it in each shipment of imported stock he has thus far 

 examined. I have received specimens for exhibition at this meeting, 

 and here exhibit them. These are the nests in which the pest 

 passes the winter as small larvse or caterpillars. They are quite con- 

 spicuous, being two or three inches in length, and look much like the 

 webs of the tent caterpillars, but have the webs woven around the 

 twigs, and are not found only in the forks of the twigs, as is the case 

 with the tent caterpillar webs. Those who know of the damage by 

 the San Jos6 Scale think that we have realized the worst, but in 

 comparison with the Brown-tail Moth, the Scale is a creature of but 

 little consideration. The moth larvie devour the foliage of all de- 

 ciduous trees, rendering them as bare and brown in midsummer as 

 they are in winter time. It will go through our forests and destroy 

 them, as well as orchards and^other trees, causing a wreckage that 

 is not computable in its results. 



This is to be seen in the State of Massachusetts, where it has be- 

 come established, and where private individuals have spent thou- 

 sands of dollars in trying to rid their premises of it. The 'State of 

 Massachusetts appropriated $300,000 toward suppressing this and 

 the Gypsy Moth, and the United States government appropriated 

 a similar amount for this work in the same State. 



Not only is the Brown-tail Moth destructive to the foliage of most 

 trees and shrubs, but the hairs of the caterpillars are deciduous or 

 "shed" and they have nettle cells connected with them. They fall 

 23—7—1908. 



