74 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



trees of the Japanese plum " Kelsey," which had been procured from the San Jose district 

 in California. Idaho pear trees had also been frequently imported from California which 

 were most probably infested. In 1891 and 1892 several blocks of young apple trees were 

 badly infested. It is on pear trees chiefly that this pernicious scale has been distributed 

 through the state of New Jersey. Prof. J. B. Smith says (Insect Life, VII., p. 166) : 

 " The Idaho pear has been the most dangerous because it, came infested whenever 

 imported direct, and after it came in close order, Madame von Siebold, Garber, Lawson, 

 Seckel, Lawrence and Bartlett. Other varieties are also infested, but less frequently, and 

 the scales do not do so well. Kieffers alone are absolutely exempt, and closely following 

 comes the Leconte, which is rarely infested in the nursery, and never in the orchard, in 

 my efcperience. One tree grafted with Lawson and Kieft'er had the Lawson branch and 

 fruit covered with scales, while the Kieffer branch was entirely free. Currants, black 

 and red, became rapidly infested, and the scales were certainly distributed on these 

 plants." 



Mr. Howard says that this insect spreads rapidly for a scale insect, and is the most 

 dangerous scale known. It is, too, inconspicuous and would be overlooked by many. 

 Specimens of infested apple boughs received from British Columbia were entirely 

 incrusted with the scales so as to give them the appearance of having been dusted 

 with ashes. Mr. Howard gives the following description of the scale in his circular above 

 referred to : " The San Jose Scale belongs to the same group of scale insects— the 

 Diaspin;i3, or armoured scales — to which the Oyster-shell Bark-louse of the apple belongs. 

 It diflfers from this species, and in fact from all other eastern species found upon decidu- 

 ous fruit trees, in that the scale is perfectly round, or at most very slightly elongated or 

 irregular. It is flat, pressed close]to the bark, resembles the bark of .^the twigs in colour, 

 and when fully grown is about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. At or near the 

 middle of each scale is a small, round, slightly-elongated, black point ; or this point may 

 sometimes appear yellowish. When occurring upon the bark of the twigs or leaves, and 

 in large numbers, the scales lie close to each other, frequently overlapping, and are at such 

 times difiicult to distinguish without a magnifying glass. The general appearance which 

 they present is of a grayish, very slightly roughened scurfy deposit. 



The natural rich reddish colour of the limbs of the peach and apple is quite obscured 

 when these trees are thickly infested, and they have then every appearance of being 

 coated with lime or ashes. When the scales are crushed by scraping, a yellowish oily 

 liquid will appear, resulting from the crushing of the soft yellow insacts beneath the 

 scales, and this will at once indicate to one who is not familiar with their appearance 

 the existence of healthy living scales on the trees. During winter the insect is to be 

 found in the half-grown or nearly full-grown condition. The young begin to hatch and to 

 crawl from under the female scales shortly after the trees leaf out, and from this time 

 through the summer there is a constant succession of generations. The insect affects not 

 only the young twigs and limbs, and with young trees, the entire plant, but is also found 

 upon the leaves and upon the fruit. When abundant, the fruit is destroyed. One of 

 the most characteristic points in the appearance of the insect upon fruit, is the purple 

 discoloration around the edge of each scale. 



The above description will enable fruit-growers to recognize this enemy, should they 

 be unfortunate enough to get their orchards infested with it. 



Eemedies. 



With regard to remedies, we have the advantage of all the experience of 

 Oalifornian experimenters and the careful work of the Division of Entomology at 

 Washington, as well as of Prof. J. B. Smith of New Jersey during the past year. 

 There are three methods which have proved effective in fighting the San Jose Scale. 

 In cases of severe attack it is recommended to cut down the infested trees and 

 burn them. The other methods are, spraying with insecticidal washes, or fumigating 

 the trees with poisonous gases. The insecticidal washes may be divided into summer 

 washes, which can be applied while the trees are in leaf, and winter washes of a 



