Febuiaky 0. 10i:2 



The Weekly Florists* Review* 



351 



House of Carnations at the Establishment of G. Van Bochove & Bro., Kalamazoo, Mich. 



(Japanese), lilac, currants, gooseberries, 

 golden willow. Today while pruning I 

 found a row of currants which were all 

 destroyed with the exception of a portion 

 of the new growth. I think there should 

 be some act passed by our legislators pro- 

 viding for the extermination of tliis scale 

 such as that presented by tlie state of 

 New York found in Hulletin No. 3. New 

 Series, United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture, Division of Entomology. 



Unless some rigid measures arc applied 

 I am afraid the fruit interests of the New 

 England states will in a very few years 

 become extinct. A. C. Capen, 



Supt. of Parks, Holyokc, Mass. 



This is by far the worst scale pest the 

 writer has had any experience with or 

 has ever seen. In western Connecticut 

 .some four or (ive years ago, when it first 

 became prevalent in that .section, 1 de- 

 tected it on a few dwarf pear trees. They 

 were immediately taken and burned up. 

 Tliat season there did not seem to be any 

 more signs of it, but the following .season 

 it made its appearance on so many dif- 

 ferent trees and shrubs that radical 

 measures had at once to be adopted. It 

 will cover a tree completely in one sea- 

 son and iu two or three seasons at the 

 utmost will have entirely killed it. 



The dill'erent varieties of prunus and 

 pyrus have always been the worst afi'ect- 

 ed that have come under my notice. I 

 consider the best time to destroy the pest 

 is during the late winter months, for then 

 all trees and shrubs may be thoroughly 

 sprayed without injury to huds, hut sum- 

 mer treatment is also necessary if the 

 pest is to be thoroughly kept in check. 

 The best remedy I ever found was crude 

 petroleum. I have in many cases sprayed 

 this without diluting with no injurious 

 effects whatever to tree growth and com- 

 pletely destroyed the scale. I do not like 

 kerosene, for in order to have it strong 

 enough to destroy the scale it will ]nove 

 injurious to tree growth. I have tried it 



in many different proportions of strength 

 and rememl>cr using it pure on a batch of 

 plum trees that had a magnificent lot of 

 San Jcse scale on them. I am glad to 

 say I succeeded in destroying that lot of 

 scale — trees also. 



Like other pests, it will be impossible 

 to thoroughly clear a locality of it, for 

 there are many places where it will take 

 hold and not receive any attention. I 

 have seen it plentiful on wild apple trees, 

 thorns, etc. There is another remedy 

 which I have great hopes of doing a large 

 share in destro.ving this pernicious scale, 

 especially in wild locations where it will 

 not receive the attention of the spraying 

 machine. I refer to the lady-bugs, "Coc- 

 cinillidae." These dear little beetles are 

 very carnivorous. I have counted dozens 

 (if some of the species on a single apple 

 tree that was scale infested, and they 

 were certainly playing havoc with the 

 newly hatched scales. 



In conclusion there are many remedies 

 for destroying the scale. My theory is to 

 have something that will adhere to the 

 tree bark long enough to seal the scale 

 in. as it were, thus destroying it, and 

 whatever is used the main thing is. do it 

 thoroughly; do not miss a single branch 

 and do not depend on one application as 

 enough. In most cases two or three will 

 be necessary. J. W. Ddncan, 



Asst. Supt. of Parks, Boston, Mass. 



Hartford and the vicinity here around 



is badly infested by the dreaded San Jose 

 scale, and, of course, our parks have not 

 wholly escaped its ravages. It was first 

 discovered on some old Elaegnus argentea 

 and Prunus Pissardii in Bushnell Park 

 about four j-ears ago. Those infested 

 plants were cut down and burned, and 

 for a time Bushnell Park was apparently 

 free from the insect. Last winter the 

 scale was found there again, but in lim- 

 ited nvnnber, especially on older plants 

 of Elaegnus argentea, Prunus Pissardii, 



mountain ash and various sorts of Cra- 

 taegus and cornus. These plants were 

 immediately sprayed with a solution of 

 whale oil soap, kerosene and water. This, 

 I think, had the desired effect. 



The scale was also discovered last win- 

 ter in what we call Sigourney square, in 

 a lot of old Cornus stolonifera. Those 

 were pretty badly infested, and to make 

 a clean and sure j<ib of it they were cut 

 down and burned. The surrounding 

 plants, although no scale was visible on 

 them, were immediately sprayed with the 

 before mentioned solution. This park is 

 now apparently free from the insect, al- 

 though just across the street from it any 

 amount of the scale can be found. 



In Pope Park we have found the scale 

 sparingly on the younger plantings, al- 

 though the plants were clean when plant- 

 ed. In cases of this sort the plants may 

 lie dug up and fumigated, which, I think, 

 is very cH'ectivc. For that reason we have 

 here a wooden box lOxOxo feet erected, 

 containing 570 cubic feet. It is lined 

 with heavy paper on the inside so as to 

 make it as tight as possible. It opens 

 from the top. On one side, near the bot- 

 tom at the middle of the box, is an open- 

 ing 10x12 inches, and a sort of cage in- 

 side. Here the chemicals are placed and 

 the opening quickly closed. It requires 

 for a box with a capacity of 570 cubic 

 feet filled with plants: 4.^ oz. of potash 

 cyanidum, 7 oz. of sulphuric acid, grade 

 184, and 11 oz. of water. 



When fumigating proceed iu the fol- 

 lowing order: First, place the infested 

 plants in the box and put on the cover. 

 In order to let as little as possible of the 

 highly poisonous fumes escape, cover the 

 top of the box with heavy bags or mat- 

 ting. Second, when preparing the chem- 

 icals use a low, glazed vessel, with wide 

 opening, holding about three quarts. Put 

 in the acid first, then the water very 

 carefully, and stir slowly with a stake. 

 Place the vessel in the cage inside of the 



