162 



our orchardists millions of dollars, and it would do for tlie infected 

 orchardists East what it bad done in the West. 



As a matter of fact, our recommendations in Circular 'No. 3 were 

 based upon the results of Avinter experiments ui)()n allied scales at 

 Washington, and it is pleasing to be able to quote in sujjport of our 

 circular, and as opposed to Mr. Lelong's statements, the testimony of 

 so practical a man as Mr. 11. B. Muscott, chairman of the county board 

 of horticultural commissioners of San Bernardino County, Cal., who 

 writes (April 12, 1894) that five years ago his commission was organ- 

 ized and started a vigorous crusade to eradicate the scale, and that the 

 work has beeu so successfully accomplished that, from the reports of 

 inspectors received in April, there was not at that time so much of the 

 scale in the entire county as could be found in individual orchards five 

 years ago. When carefully prepared and thoroughly applied, the choice 

 of the commission which has accomplished this effective work is, first, 

 kerosene emulsion; and, second, lime, salt, and sulphur as a dormant 

 wash. The San Bernardino County method of preparing kerosene 

 emulsion is as follows: Take 5 pounds of whale-oil soap, 5 gallons of kero- 

 sene; dissolve the soap in 10 gallons of boiling water; then remove 

 from the fire and add the kerosene slowly, thoroughly churning the 

 mixture in the meantime; then add enough hot water slowly to make 

 the whole mixture 50 gallons, continuing the churning while adding the 

 hot Avater. Apply milk warm for the best results. This will not make 

 a thoroughly satisfactory emulsion; that is to say, an emulsion which 

 will stand for any great length of time. It amounts, in fact, to one 

 part of standard emulsion to a little over three parts of water. 



An interesting phase of this investigation is the use that has been 

 made of the fact that the San Jose scale was first discovered in Vir- 

 ginia, by an Ohio nursery firm through one of its agents in the State 

 of Kentucky to build up business for his firm by discrediting nursery 

 stock coming from Virginia. It was quite to be expected that tree 

 agents, who are proverbially almost as sharp as lightning-rod men, 

 should use such a fact as this, and we have been to some trouble to 

 assure Virginia nurserymen that in no case have they been proved to 

 be responsible for the introduction of this iusec'. As above stated, the 

 onus rests entirely upon the two Kew Jersey dealers and the one in 

 Missouri. 



There can be no doubt that great harm has beeu done by the lament- 

 able carelessness of these two New Jersey firms and the firm in Mis- 

 souri. But, from the present outlook, so far as my own information 

 goes (and it must be remembered that I know nothing of the state of 

 affairs in New Jersey) the damage done has not been irremediable. In 

 fact, it is an open question whether the ultimate result will not be a 

 good rather than a bad one. One, at least, of the New Jersey firms has 

 shown such a desire to make amends that it has burned up thousands 

 of valuable trees and has madeevery effort not only to repair the dam- 



