ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



7:^ 



THE SAN JOSlfe SCALE. (Aspidioius pernicAosus, Oomstock). 



By James Fletcher, Ottawa. 



The unexpected discovery, in the Eastern United States and British Columbia, of this 

 scourge of the Pacific Coast orchards, makes it all-important to draw the attention of 

 Ontario fruit-growers to the sflbject, so that they may become familiar with its appearance 

 and be prepared to adopt active measures to eradicate it, should it, as it is more than 

 probable, appear in our province. 



In August, 1893, the first eastern specimens of the San Jose scale were brought to 

 the notice of the United States Entomologist, and he at once took active measures to 

 find out all that was to be learned concerning its distribution and injuries, with the object 

 of stamping out such a formidable enemy. In April, 1894, Mr. Howard issued a circular 

 under the caption, " An Important Enemy to Fruit Trees," in which he gave a short 

 history of the insect and the most approved remedies. He has been kind enough to lend 

 Fig, 48 from that bulletin, which will be of great service in giving an idea of the appear- 

 ance of the insect. 



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Fig. 48. — &'au .Jose Scale, female enlarged and part of infested br:inc!i (lite sizt). 



The San Jose Scale was first brought to California it is thought, from Chile about 1870, 

 and it was first noticed as injuriously abundant at San Jose in 1873, and called the San .Jose 

 Scale. "It does not seem to have been named scientifically until 1880, when Prof. 

 Oomstock described it in his annual report to the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture — be designated it perniciosiis, because he considered it the most pernicious scale 

 insect known in the country. It swarmed in c:untless numbers upon the trees in certain 

 orchards, and infested all the deciduous fruits grown in California, except the apricot and 

 Black Tartarian cherry. In the course of twelve years, the insect spread through all 

 the fruit growing regions of California, through Oregon, and into the State of Washington. 

 It is known as the worst insect pest of deciduous fruit trees on the Pacific coast, and has 

 caused great pecuniary loss. Many crops of fruit have been ruined, and thousands o£ 

 trees have been killed." (L. 0. Howard, Circular 3.) 



In 1892 the insect was found in New Mexico on apple, pear, plum, peach, quince 

 and rose. It had been brought into New Mexico upon young trees from California. 

 Nearly all the other instances of infestation east of the Rocky Mountains can be traced to 

 two nurseries in New Jersey, where the pest had been introduced in 1886 or 1887 on 



