FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



insects alive and healthy. But I also found among them speci- 

 mens of a destructive parasite known as Philotrypesis. I pointed 

 these out to Roeding and told him that he must destroy them. 

 Then I went forward on my journey. The litde fig insects 

 (known as Blastophaga grossorum) survived. Roeding carried 

 their descendants through the winter in his Capri fig orchard. 

 Next summer my learned assistant, Dr. E. A. Schwarz (who 

 had studied the available literature carefully), went out to 

 Fresno and spent the whole growing season helping to organize 

 a proper method of handling the insects. He and Roeding did 

 just about what the people out in Smyrna had done for years. 

 At the right time, eight or ten of the litde Capri figs were 

 fastened to a horizontal stick, and these sticks were hung in 

 the branches of the Smyrna fig trees. 



A good crop of very superior Smyrna figs was the result, and 

 thus a successful new industry was started in California. The 

 trade name of this fruit, decided by prize competition, is the 

 Calimyrna. 



This rather fascinating story was published with numerous 

 illustrations in the Year Book of the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture for 1900. It is available in almost any big library. The 

 main credit for this fine achievement must be divided between 

 Dr. Swingle and Mr. Roeding. 



A humorous and very embarrassing incident occurred in 1909. 

 I wonder if any of my American friends have ever experienced 

 anything quite so awkward. One day in August of that year 

 Major W. H. Wiley, then a member of Congress, and a famous 

 raconteur and joker, came into the Cosmos Club and invited 

 Dr. H. W. Wiley, at that time Chief Chemist of the Department 

 of Agriculture, and myself, to take a ride with him in his auto- 

 mobile. We went out and found the Major's wife and another 



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