TIM \IH\Tlll.y III I.I.KTIN. 77 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF CALIFORNIA. 



Among the many advantages thai Nature has showered upon Cali- 

 fornia, and which go to create the greal optimism of the Pacific slope, 

 there are those thai will hinder the work of Ceratitis capitata. II is 

 safe to say thai should the Mediterranean fruit fly ever become estab- 

 lished in California, it will meet with more natural and man-made 

 barriers to its increase and spread than in any other country where 

 it is at present known as a pest, for, in addition to all natural checks, 

 it will haw arrayed againsl it the concerted action of a well organized 

 state and county inspection service which lias authority in acl speedily 

 and effectively. One who has nut become familiar with the multi- 

 tude of trees and shrubs in Hawaii that hear fruits that serve as food 

 for the fruit fly and which make possible, when assisted by the ideal 

 Hawaiian climatic conditions, the remarkable destructiveness of the 

 fruit fly in these islands, can not appreciate the ureal advantage Cali- 

 fomia possesses in her natural dearth of native host vegetation and the 

 checks which her climatic conditions will offer. By the wise elimination 

 of a comparatively few host trees, the fruit fly in CaMornia can, in 

 many important fruit growing areas, lie made to struggle for its mere 

 existence during a number of months when no fruits are in season in 

 which it can multiply. And during these periods of scarcity of food, 

 and of increased mortality, the poisoned bait spray, already demon- 

 strated by Mally in South Africa to he effective, can he applied under 

 ideal climatic conditions to further reduce the number of adult flies. 

 The problem of control will he a serious one even with these natural 

 advantages, yet if is comforting to realize that California's problem 

 will not prove so hopeless a one as that of Hawaii during tile past six 

 years. 



PARASITIC CONTROL. 



An added advantage thai will he California's is the Large fund of 

 informal inn which is being accumulated upon the subject of parasitic 

 control of the fruit fly in Hawaii by the Hawaiian Board of Agriculture 

 and the Federal Bureau of Entomology. It will not he necessary for 

 California to search tlie earth for parasites. This has already been 

 done by the agents of the Hawaiian hoard, by such men as Silvestri, 

 Fullaway and Bridwell. These men have introduced and established 

 at least four parasites that have already demonstrated their ability to 



I omc worthy factors of control under Hawaiian conditions. Of these 



foui-. two came from western Africa, one from South Africa, and one 

 from Australia. 



The study being made of their biology by the federal bureau is brine 



ing tint facts that will 1 f value in determining which of those already 



established in Hawaii can be expected to give the best results when 

 working under the i Ler weather conditions of California. 



The greal success that has attended the work of the Hawaiian board, 

 under the leadership of .Mr. \V. M. Giffard, in I he search for. introduction 



and establishment of these parasites, has been one of tie- en1 Logical 



romances of the time. During -111110, 1913, Mr. I). T. Fullaway, acting 

 for the board. Liberated a few specimens of the South African Optus 

 humilis and the Australian Diachasma tnjoni parasites among the coffee 

 fields of the Kona district of the Island of Hawaii. lint three females 

 of the tirst species and nine females of tln> second species were liberated 



