470 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



into Los Angeles in 1878 upon some nursery trees purchased from a 

 San Francisco nurseryman. These trees were planted in a certain 

 nursery, and when the insects were first noticed upon them the owner 

 was requested to burn them. He neglected to do this, and soon after 

 failed in business, and the nursery fell into other hands. The ne^y 

 owner also proved indifferent, and from this point the insects sj^read 

 into the surrounding orchards, going mainly in the direction of the 

 prevailing winds. Some years ago a tree was found infested at Passa- 

 aena, 7 miles east of Los Angeles, but it was immediately destroyed, 

 and the insect has not been heard of since. At Pomona. 32 miles 

 east of Los Angeles, the same thing happened in 1883, Two trees 

 were found to be infested and were immediately destroyed, and the 

 insect has not appeared since. 



The eighth infested district is at Anaheim, Los Angeles County, 

 27 miles south by east of Los Angeles. Here the insect is purely local 

 and does not seem to be spreading. 



The ninth district is at San Gabriel, 9 miles east of Los Angeles. 

 In the vicinity of this place are some of the largest orange groves in 

 California. In 1880 or 1881, according to Mr. Cooke, a Mrs. McGreg- 

 ory bought a pot-plant in Los Angeles, brought it home, and placed 

 it beside a small Orange near her house. In 1882 the neighboring 

 orange trees were found to he infested with the Cottony Cushion- 

 scale. In the fall of 1883 it was found in some of the larger orchards 

 so abundantly as to cause alarm among the growers. By means of 

 a voluntary tax of five cents per tree, some fifteen hundred or two 

 thousand dollars were raised and expended and the pest eradicated. 

 The most radical measures were used. The trees were cut back to the 

 crotches, the branches burned, and the trunks scrubbed. In 1885, 

 however, the insect was again found, but only in a few trees. 



The tenth and last district includes the orchards in and around the 

 city of Santa Barbara. According to Mr. Coquillett the scale was 

 introduced into this district in 1878. A number of trees from the 

 same lot which first introduced the pest into Los Angeles was sent to 

 Santa Barbara at about the same time. Mr. Cooke states that he vis- 

 ited this district in July, 1884, and found Mr. Stowe's orchards (10 miles 

 north of the city of Santa Barbara) the most seriously infested spot in 

 the State. Forty acres, principally of lemon trees, were badly dam- 

 aged, and over many acres the trees had been dug out and burned. 

 Two miles north of Mr. Stowe's, Colonel Hollister's groves also con- 

 tained the insect in numbers. About 40 acres were partially infested. 

 The latter gentleman made strong endeavors to rid his groves of the 

 insect, and spent a great deal of money, with only partial success. 

 Mr. Cooke states that the course of the insect between Mr. Stowe's 

 and Colonel Hollister's could be plainly traced over a rolling grazing 

 land on the nettles, dock, and other weeds.* 



* Reports have gained currency that this Icerya was found abundantly around 

 Santa Barbara on wild plants, and especially upon the "Grease-wood," and it has 

 been argued from such reports that the species is indigenous. They have no found- 

 ation except in mistaken identity, a large Coccid belonging to the genus Rhizococ- 

 cus, which occurs abundantly on Artemisia calif ornica, having undoubtedly given 

 rise to the report. The female of this species, which we shall describe as Rhizococ- 

 cus artevdsioi, secretes a globular mass of wliite cottony wax, which is more or less 

 distinctly ribbed, and her eggs are of the same color as those of the Icerya; but 

 with these superficial resmblances which have misled, there are profound struct- 

 ural differences. 



