MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 371 



Ohili. After acquiring wealth, he established handsome grounds in 

 Santa Olara county, which is stocked with various imported plants, 

 and it is supposed that this scale was imported from Chili by him in 

 the early seventies, for soon after this it was noticed, and spread with 

 great rapidity over the greater part of California. The fact that it ap- 

 peared soon after the importation of South American plants and was 

 reported from Chili at the same time, leads to the belief that it is native 

 of that country, although some entomologists believe it to be of Japanese 

 origin, from the fact that nearly related species are found thSre. 



For awhile it was indeed a terrible pest to the fruit-growers of 

 Oalifornia, and no etBcient means were found to check its spread. 

 Spraying with various substances and at different seasons was resorted 

 to, but nothing man could do could stop its spread or stay its ravages. 

 Nature, however, came to the rescue and a small internal parasite 

 fAphelinus fuscipennisj was discovered working on the pest. This 

 parasite has increased in California more rapidly than the pernicious 

 scale, and the latter is now very generally held in check. There is no 

 hope that it will ever be exterminated, but during the past seven years 

 the scale has decreased so rapidly that it is no longer regarded as a 

 serious pest in the orchards of California. We believe that the Aphe- 

 linus fuscipennis is found in many parts of thd Eastern and Southern 

 states, as it works on other scales than the pernicious, and it is proba- 

 ble, as it is to be hoped, that it will become established in sections 

 atilicted with this pest. — Prairie Farmer. 



A SCALE DISEASE. 



It is now well known that some of the most tiny insects are sub- 

 ject to diseases, and that these are often employed in the destruction 

 of insects which are injurious. The artificial dissemination of the 

 <jhinch-bug disease has been a notable example of this. It now ap- 

 pears that there is a fungus which attacks the San Jose scale. This 

 particular fungus is said to have a wide distribution, but has only re- 

 cently been recognized as a deadly enemy of the pernicious scale. To 

 produce the disease among the scales the fungus is transferred to the 

 affected trees where it multiplies rapidly. 



Prof. Rolfs of the Florida Experiment Station reports that large 

 quantities of the fungus may be produced in the laboratory in a short 

 time and at slight expense, its wide distribution rendering always 

 available a start for propagating. It can then be applied by the 

 grower, and as far as tested has been more eflFective than many spray- 



