LouIstaNA—Crircuuar No. 12. 5 
it has spread almost ineredibly, until now every fruit-growing 
State in the Union is more or less badly infested. It was first 
discovered in the East at Charlottesville, Va., in 1893, and 
although heroic measures for its extermination were taken by 
both the State and National Governments, their efforts were un- 
availing, and the pest continued its march of destruction, leaving 
trouble and discouragement in its wake. The San Jose sree i» 
new a permanent factor in our orchard and nursery work, and, 
while we have now learned to control it quite easily in the or- 
chard, its presence in a nursery still causes a great deal of 
trouble. 
Many of this family of seale insects-are notably injurious on 
account of their peculiar anatomy and habits. They cannot be 
poisoned because they obtain their sustenance by inserting their 
long, thin beaks into the tissues of the plant, and sucking the 
sap. All insects which feed in this manner are more difficult to 
ecntrol than insects feeding on the outer tissues of a plant. The 
question: of controlling the San Jose seale, therefore, naturally 
resolves itself into the use of ‘‘contact insecticides,’’ substances 
which, when made to touch the insects, by corroding the essential 
kody tissues of the animal or by exerting a smothering effect. 
cause death. Here again the question is complicated because the 
insect is wholly covered during almost its entire existence, by 
a waxy scale, which is very resistant to almost all ordinary ‘‘con- 
tact insecticides.’? By many years of work, however, the wash 
known as the lime-sulphur wash has been developed to a high 
pcint of efficiency, and is almost universally used in controlling 
the San Jose scale in orchards. When it is found in a nursery, 
however, or very close to one, destruction of all infested plants 
is insisted on. Even though we ean kill almost all of the insects 
by spraying with the lime-sulphur wash, we cannot totally eradi- 
cate them, which is the object sought in ease of a nursery infesta- 
tion. 
We will not oceupy any more space with the description of 
this insect, except to mention one particular peculiarity. This 
lies in the manner of reproduction; instead of laying eggs as 
most insects do, the female San Jose scale brings forth its young 
alive. Circular No. 4 of the Commission, which fully describes 
the insect and treatment for it, can be had, postage prepaid, by 
applying to Wilmon Newell, Secretary, Baton Rouge, La. 
