I'lorioa AM) CalU'Ornia Lamokatorihs 259 



Smith, tOi;etlicr witli Secretary Morton, Galloway, and Ento- 

 moloi^ist C. V. Riley, had been invited to California in 1S93 to 

 attend the State Fruit Growers' Meeting held at Los Angeles 

 November 21-24 of that year. Resolutions of the State Pomo- 

 logical Society and Farmers" Institute had been received which 

 protested the withdrawal by the federal Department of Agriculture 

 from California of D. W. Coquillctt and Albert Kocbele and 

 requested that Coquillett be reestablished as field agent in eco- 

 nomic entomology in Southern California. Coordinate vegetable 

 pathological and entomological services maintained by the federal 

 government in conjunction with state agricultural agencies had 

 been much appreciated by farmers and fruit growers there in 

 " their warfare with insect pests." Certain scales infesting orange 

 trees, particularly San Jose scale, loomed as one of the most 

 difficult problems of California agriculture, and under Coquillett's 

 direction hydrocyanic acid gas, very effective when applied under 

 tents in orchards of oranges, was discovered to be an efficient 

 remedy, more so than lime-sulphur spray which was also used but 

 which injured the foliage. San Jose scale had been introduced 

 into California from eastern Asia and during the first half decade 

 of the new century became alarmingly prevalent in eastern United 

 States, too, its spread taking place on infested nursery stock 

 through carelessness or lack of scruples on the part of two eastern 

 dealers. ^'^ Smith, however, never visited California. 



For months he had tried to secure pure culture infections and 

 isolate the bacillus of his bacterial disease of cucumbers, melons, 

 and squash. His career in plant bacteriology was definitely started. 



January 16, 1894, his laboratory memorandum read: 



In early stages of the disease the bacteria are confined almost exclusively 

 to the spiral vessels of the inner xylem. These seem to be the first attacked. 

 Bundles seen today in all stages of fullness. Some just commencing to have 

 vessels gorged, others in which every vessel is full but not yet broken 

 down; others full, structure not distinct as if vessels broken down. My 

 sections too thick to settle this point. This disease serves as additional proof 



"Plant pathology: a retrospect and prospect, op. cit., 60R; Fifty vcars of 

 pathology, of), cit., 24; in the autumn of 1894 Messrs C. L. Marlatt and Coquillett 

 extensively tested washes in a scale-infested orchard in Maryland, among which was 

 lime-sulphur salt wash as used in California, and the Oregon wash, both used at 

 ordinary and double strengths. See an article by A. L. Quaintance, Lime sulphur 

 washes for the San Jose scale, Yearbook of U. S. Dep't of Agric. for 1906: 429. 

 This gives a brief history of the various formulas used in the eastern states. 



