372 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



A FOE TO GUARD AGAINST. 



Doctor Morrill, the able entomologist of Arizona, gives an illustrated 

 article in "The Southwestern Stockman-Farmer" on the western rose 

 chafer, Macrodactylus uniformis. Without doubt if this beetle should 

 come among us it would be one of our most formidable pests. For 

 years the writer had much experience with a very near relative. In 

 fact, they seem almost identical. This was Macrodactylus subspinosus. 

 These beetles belong to the family Scarahccidce, which includes June 

 beetles, the lawn beetles, our Hoplia and the Sericas. Thus we find 

 that it is a bad company, but I think this rose chafer of the East was 

 the greatest pest of all. We thought for a time that Paris green did 

 not kill it. The reason was that when we did kill thousands by use 

 of the poison other thousands would come to take their places. 

 Although it is called the rose chafer, it is equally bad on apple and 

 other fruit trees. It would be a serious calamity if this beetle should 

 become established here. Unlike most of the Scarabfeids, it is very 

 long and narrow and is quickly told by its very long tarsi, which give 

 it its generic name Macrodactylus, or big fingers. 



I greatly hope that we shall never get this beetle in California, but 

 it behooves us all to be on the lookout, and I especially urge our county 

 horticultural commissioners to watch out for this pest, and if it comes 

 to our State to take all possible pains to eradicate it at its very first 

 appearance. 



It only remains to be said that the larvae live in the ground and feed 

 on roots. They also pupate in the earth. — A. J. Cook. 



PEACH YELLOWS. 



California is peculiarly interested in that juicy, delicious fruit, the 

 peach. As in the case of oranges, lemons and prunes, California ranks 

 first as a peach state. The United States census for 1910 gives 7,829,011 

 as the number of bearing trees and $4,573,775 as the income. The 

 statistics of our State give nearly a million trees more, and of course 

 the income would be proportionally greater. The income from peaches 

 in Georgia and New York, which rank next to California, was less than 

 half that of California. 



Again, the peach does exceptionally well in nearly every fruit 

 locality of California. Every county can boast of its fine, luscious 

 peaches. The peach borer is found in but few counties. The twig 

 borer is easily controlled, and curl leaf and other fungoid pests readily 

 yield to well known fungoidal treatment. 



Fortunately we have not as yet the virulent disease known as 

 "peach yellows." The writer knew this well in Michigan, where it 

 destroyed many fine orchards. It usually is fatal in four years after 

 attack. The symptoms the first year are leaves, normal in form but 

 yellow, and fruit, maturing early, spotted deeply with red streaks 

 about the pit. The second year these characteristics are magnified. 

 The third and fourth years many wiry twigs with narrow leaves are 

 very noticeable and give quick indication that the disease is present. 

 It is believed that trees from diseased pits are likely to be diseased. 



