720 ] our nal of Agriculture. [9 Dec, 1907 



The contention that where parasites were introduced, it would not be 

 necessary to take any mechanical methods to destroy insect pests, is 

 certainly not borne out by the present conditions of orcharding and orchards 

 in California. There is no question that the native, and not the introduced 

 chalcid wasps parasites, are doing as much work in devouring the per- 

 centage of scale insects that are their natural food, but as for either native 

 or introduced parasites exterminating a pest when once it is firmly estab- 

 lished, it has never happened yet. In Mr. Carne's list of flie Coccidcs 

 of California, he enumerates about 135 species a 100 of which are more 

 or less thoroughly established in California, and a dozen of which are 

 serious orchard pests. 



There is one curious thing in connexion with the Asfidiotus auranti, 

 the red scale of orange common both to Australia and California, and 

 that is that here they claim there is a second species that is known as 

 yellow scale {Asfidiotus citrinus) which is ne\er found upon the stems or 

 young wood, but only upon the fruit and foliage, and thus it never does the 

 injury to the trees that the true red scale can in killing back the young 

 wood. The only difference that I can find, is in the colour and flatness 

 of the disc of some of the scale vipon the foliage. 



The codlin moth parasite, as previously pointed out, in spite of Mr. 

 Compere's accounts of its work, and the offer of a colony by the State 

 Board of Horticulture to several of our States for ;^i,ooo each, has done 

 nothing outside the office insectarium. 



In conclusion I have' to thank Professor Woodworth of Berkeley 

 College for arranging and accompanying me on country visits, the officers 

 of the State Board of Horticulture at San Francisco, Messrs. Elehoun, 

 Bremner, and Cairns, for a great deal of valuable information, Mr. Isaacs 

 of Sacramento, who showed me round his district, and the County Horti- 

 cultural Commissioners whom I met in different districts. 



THE PROCLAIMED PLANTS OF VICTORIA. 



{Continued from page 680.) 



Alfred J. Etvart , D.Sc, Ph.D., F.L.S., Government Botanist ; and 

 J. R. Tovey, Herbarium Assistant. 



The African Box-thorn. 



Lycium Iiorridum, Thunberg, Solaiiaceoe. 



A shrub growing to a height of twelve feet. Stem, stiff, much branched ; 

 branches, grey, ending in a spine ; leaves, obovate, fleshy, glabrous, in 

 tufts of three to seven, flat above, convex beneath. Flowers, single on a 

 short stalk. Corolla white, or tinged with purple. Fruit, a berry, 

 globe-shaped, orange-red. 



This spring hedge-plant is very variable in height, and being perennial, 

 is difficult to eradicate. It should be dug up before flowering and burnt. 



An introduction from South Africa. 



Proclaimed for the w^hole State, April, 1907. 



