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was the main source of trouble. It was feared that the unusually wet 

 summer would have increased scale infestation in the summer rainfall 

 area, but in Natal the excessive rainfall seemed to produce less 

 favourable scale conditions than those in the average season. Quaran- 

 tines were placed on 11 nurseries owing to the presence of C. aurantii, 

 on 2 owing to pernicious scale [Aspidiotus perniciosus] and 2 others 

 owing to woolly aphis [Eriosoma lanigerum]. It is suggested that if 

 any nursery has had a quarantine placed on any part of it for two 

 seasons in succession, the fact should be advertised by the Department 

 of Agriculture in the Government Gazette. The fumigation of woody 

 plants with hydrocyanic acid gas is one of the conditions of their 

 introduction, and regulations restrict the importations to a limited 

 number of a given variety. With a few exceptions, all varieties of 

 ornamental trees and shrubs are admissable. Owing to the danger 

 of introduction of new pests by this means it is regretted that 

 ornamental trees cannot be further restricted, but the result would 

 probably be a serious diminution in the planting of these, which 

 are required in great numbers in South Africa. With fruit trees, 

 the necessity for importation of further stocks is open to question. 

 At present the admission of pear, plum, cherry and almond stocks is 

 unlimited. 



Pests intercepted during the inspection of fruit tree stocks comprised 

 several species of Aphids, including the pear root aphis [Eriosofiia 

 pyricola], which is now attracting serious attention in California; 

 several species of scale- insects, including Aspidiotus pyri, Lepidosaphes 

 ulmi, and Pulvinaria betulae, none of which has yet occurred in South 

 Africa; and many cocoons of unidentified moths and a few clusters 

 of moth eggs. Date palms from Algeria were heavily infested with 

 Parlatoria blanchardi, a serious pest that must be prevented from 

 entering the country. As the palms were desirable, they were subjected 

 to prolonged fumigation and planted in quarantine. 



European foul-brood of bees, which had hitherto been kept out of 

 South Africa, was discovered during the year in several districts. 

 The question of Government regulations for the suppression of the 

 disease is being considered. The author of the present report is of 

 opinion that legislative measures would be of little value in the present 

 state of the industry of beekeeping. He advocates in preference 

 the adoption by the Department of an active policy of itinerant 

 instruction to encourage beekeeping and spread a knowledge of 

 proper methods for combating bee diseases and pests. After such 

 work was well established, compulsory legislative measures would be 

 open to fewer objections. 



San Jose scale [Aspidiotus perniciosus], while still restricted to 

 certain localities, is spreading a good deal in those areas. In 

 and around Pretoria it has increased greatly in the last few years, 

 following a succession of seasons when it made little progress. Its 

 spread is probably in a large measure due to birds ; stretches of several 

 hundred yards of grass land have been crossed by it in several districts; 

 in another the scale has spread from a town two miles distant, apparently 

 by the agency of birds. At Johannesburg the scale is being held in 

 check by winter spraying with miscible oil. 



The red locust {Schistocerca septemfasciata), as in the previous 

 year, gave no trouble either in the Union of S. Africa or in the adjacent 



