112 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



Pernicious Scale at Parys. — A Division of Entomology nursery 

 inspector recently found a single small apple tree infested with 

 pernicious (San Jose) scale in the course of the ordinary inspection 

 of a new fruit tree nursery at Parys, Orange Free State. A super- 

 ficial inspection of gardens in different parts of the town has since 

 been made by the Senior Nursery Inspector, and it has been discovered 

 that the pest occurs over a considerable area, and has probably been 

 present in the town unrecognized and unsuspected for quite a number 

 of years. What appeared to be the oldest infestations were found 

 near the centre of the town about a mile and a half from the nursery 

 premises, which are in a suburb. However, no trace of the scale was 

 found in some of the town gardens. It was found in several gardens 

 in the suburb, but not in abundance, while there is reason to suppose 

 that numbers of " diseased " trees said to have been cut out several 

 years ago from gardens in the town were really its victims. Most of 

 the trees in the infested gardens are alleged to have come from Cape 

 nurseries, and some of the owners incline to think that Cape trees 

 brought the scale. But the Division of Entomology has never found 

 nor suspected the scale in any Cape Province nursery, and is of the 

 opinion it must have got to Parys with suspected untraced trees sold 

 in the Orange Free State about ten years ago, or else have been taken 

 in on scions or trees from some one of the numerous infested private 

 gardens and orchards of the northern Transvaal, northern Natal, and 

 northern Free State. Four Orange Free State centres of infestation 

 are now known, namely Viljoen's Drift, Kroonstad, near Harrismith, 

 and Parys. The occurrence near Harrismith illustrates how long a 

 time may elapse before the scale becomes really bad. The Division 

 of Entomology in 1912 learned that the farmer had received some 

 suspected trees, and wrote to him describing the scale and suggesting 

 a careful inspection. The farmer replied that the trees appeared 

 perfectly healthy. Seven years later he found the scale, and then 

 took it for a new thing which killed trees in a few weeks. Sometimes, 

 however, quite large trees get infested and practically killed within 

 two or three years. In general, the less a tree lacks for water and 

 attention, the worse the scale attacks it. Many fruit trees in Pretoria 

 that were known to be infested eight to nine years ago still live on 

 little the worse for the infestation, while others of the same kind have 

 died to tbe roots in a few years. Difference in care is the explanation. 

 The scale is fairlj- easily controlled by winter spraying, but quite 

 commonly trees die of its attack without the cause being discovered. 

 Fruit-growers are warned to be careful where they get trees and 

 scions. 



Locust Poison. — At the time of writing, 29th December, voet- 

 gangers have not been reported in any further districts. The swarms 

 were most numerous in the Graaff-Reinet district, where, in addition 

 to the town commonages of Graaff-Reinet and Adendorp, twenty-five 

 farms were infested. The farms in the area are particularly large. 

 The District Locust Officer, J. H. Smith, reported under date of 

 22nd December, that about 382 swarms had been destroyed. He 

 classed these as 5 very large, 28 large, 131 medium, and 218 email. 

 He goes on to state: "The north, west, and south of the Graaff- 

 Reinet district was infested, and the outbreak was quite serious. 



