190 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



Work on the geographical distribution of injurious insects in the 

 United States. 



Apicultural investigations. 

 Technical work. 

 Bibliographical work. 

 Correspondence. 



WORK ox INSECTS FROIM ABROAD. 

 THE FIG-FERTILIZIXG INSECT. 



As a further report of progress on the introduction and establish- 

 ment of the fig-fertilizing insect from Algeria into California, referred 

 to in previous reports and especialh^ summarized in the report for 

 1901, it may be said for the year 1902 that thousands of figs contain- 

 ing the insects successfully withstood the winter climate of California, 

 and an unlimited amount of fig insects Avere available at the proper 

 time for caprification in the spring of 1902, resulting in the production 

 of some 50 tons of Smyrna figs in the sole commercial orchard in 

 existence at present, that of Mr. George C. Roeding, at Fresno. It 

 was further found that the fig insect successf uU}' hibernates at Niles, 

 CaL, and there is now no longer any danger of its dying out. In 

 other words, the entomological problem of Smja'ua fig culture in 

 America is solved, and what remains to be done belongs rather to the 

 domain of horticulture — nameh% the introduction of more caprifig 

 trees, improvement in the methods of curing and drying the fruit, 

 and the determination of the regions throughout the arid West suita- 

 ble to the industry. The practical success of Smyrna fig culture in 

 California is now only a matter of time. In a very few years Smyrna 

 fig orchards will be in bearing in many places in California, and 

 doubtless in other Western States where climatic conditions are favor- 

 able. As stated in the report for 1901, Mr. Roeding spent nearly a 

 year in Smj'rna studying the methods of fig culture in that country 

 under a commission from this Department. Much valuable data 

 were obtained, for the most part appertaining to the horticultural 

 side of the problem. The future of this industrj", which jiromises to 

 be one of the great industries of the arid regions of the West, becomes 

 more promising every year. 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE AND ITS ASIATIC LADYBIRD ENEMY. 



In the report of last year attention was called by Dr. Howard, Ento- 

 mologist of the Dei^artment, to the exploration which was being con- 

 ducted by the writer in Japan and China to discover, if possible, the 

 native home of the San Jose scale {Aspicliotus perniciosus), and also 

 to find native parasites and enemies which miglit be imported to con- 

 trol or at least check the damage which is done by this insect in the 

 deciduous orchards of this country. The writer's exploration of Japan 

 demonstrated that the San Jose scale is not a native of that countrj;^, 

 as many of our entomologists had suf)posed, but, on the contrary, 

 that it had come to Japan comparatively recentlj^ on imported nursery 

 stock and been thus spread somewhat generally over the islands of 

 the Japanese Empire. Subsequent to the time covered by the report 

 for 1901, in tlie late summer and fall of that year, the writer extended 

 his explorations to China, exploring the coast region from Shanghai 

 northward to Pekin. The evidence from native fruits and wild plants 

 in the region about Pekin and south of the Great Wall established 



