16 



The Bulletin. 



decided factor in holding the pest in check. During the months of 

 March and April (1913) we requested sendings of infested twigs from 

 a number of growers, and made careful examinations to determine the 

 frequency of these parasites, also noting the frequency of scales which 

 were torn open, presumably by lady-beetles, and in one case mites were 

 found devouring the eggs. The result was: 



Examination was also made of twigs from several other localities 

 the result of which could not be fairly compared with those in the table 

 owing to abnormal conditions, so we present the notes on them sepa- 

 rately : 



1. Twigs from W. L. Garren, Wolf Creek, Cherokee County. Most of 

 the twigs were already dead so that the scales would not be normal. Of 

 the old scales a moderate per cent showed parasite holes, and others torn 

 open as if- by lady-beetles, though part of this may be due to "weather- 

 wear" after the insects had died. 



2. Twigs from Mrs. F. E. Stroud, Frosty, Chatham County. Twigs mostly 

 dead or nearly so, and scales on some look dark as if treated with oil or 

 otherwise. Few young in evidence. Counts made from twigs which looked 

 normal; 100 scales overturned; no living parasites nor parasite-holes 

 found, though all twigs were examined for this; considerable number torn 

 open as if by lady-beetles. 



3. Twigs from W. L. Gash, Azalea, Buncombe County. Scales very dark, 

 almost abnormal in appearance. Few young have hatched and settled, but 

 majority of scales contain only dead insects. A goodly per cent are with 

 parasite holes. 



We have already remarked upon the seemingly greater severity of 

 this pest in the more scattered eastern localities infested by it. The 

 studies above reported may throw some light upon this. In the cases at 

 Morrisville, Wake County; and Frosty, Chatham County; there was 

 absolutely no evidence of the parasites, and in the twigs from Lenoir, 

 Caldwell County (at edge of mountains) only one parasitized scale was 

 found out of 100 examined. However, in the twigs from Siler City, 

 Chatham County, the percentage of parasites was fully up to nor- 

 mal (17%). 



The lady-beetles also seem to be, if anything, less active against this 

 scale in the more eastern localities than in the mountains. No evi- 

 dence of their work was noted on the twigs from Morrisville or Siler 

 City, though there was some evidence of them on twigs from Frosty. 



