SCALE INSECTS. 7 



free from many attacks and impervious to several fluid 

 insecticides. The scale of this class most to be dreaded is 

 the one known as San Jos6, or i3ernicious scale, Aspidiotus 

 perniciosus Comstock, more generally known by the former 

 name, the San Jose scale. It stands first among these 

 pests in its destructive powers, so it is taken first. 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 

 Its Economic Importance. 



While it is not desirable to create unnecessary alarm, 

 yet facts plainly stated may enable those not fully familiar 

 with this pest to realize the full extent of its ravages. The 

 following is taken from the Kansas City Star of December 

 17, 1897: 



"Grand Rapids, -Mich., December 17. — Clinton D. 

 Smith, the San Jose scale inspector, has returned from 

 Ottawa county, where he found a 15-acre orchard badly in- 

 fested with the disease. The orchard contains 1,200 trees, 

 and all of them will have to be destroyed. The loss will 

 bankrupt the young farmer who owns them. Other 

 orchards in the neighborhood will be examined." 



Prof. M. Webster, of Ohio Agricultural College,^ says: 



" Of all scale insects at present known in America this is 

 the most to be feared, on account of its deadly effect on the 

 trees, the rapidity with which it increases, and the diffi- 

 culty in killing it, even with applications of mixtures that 

 would prove fatal to any others of our scale insects, though 

 used at one-half or one-third the strength. It is not over- 

 drawing the seriousness of the matter in the least to say, 

 that it is the worst and most to be feared insect pest that 

 this country has ever witnessed. I say this from personal 

 acquaintance with its effects, as shown in Ohio orchards, 

 where this pest has been introduced. I am satisfied that a 

 tree, starting with a half-dozen young females ready to give 

 birth to young, if nothing is done to stay their ravages or 

 prevent unrestricted increase, will be killed within four or 

 five years, no matter what the soil may be, or how vigorous 

 the tree may have been at the commencement of that period. 

 From records kept at the department of agriculture at 



^ " Scale Insects," in Indiana Horticultural Report, 1896. 



