Ttie (anadian i{ortic(jIr(irist 



JUNE, 1904 



Volume XXVII 



Number 6 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE IN ONTARIO 



4 k A LTHOUGH the area affected by 

 .l\ the San Jose scale increased 

 slightly last year, and while I doubt if the 

 scale will ever be entirely stamped out in the 

 province, yet on the whole I think the con- 

 dition of the scale is most encouraging. 

 The panic period when growers did not 

 know what to do for the scale has passed. 

 It is now realized that thorough spraying 

 will not only check the spread of the scale, 

 but that if continued it may entirely re- 

 move it." 



These remarks were made recently to The 

 Horticulturist by Mr. J. Fred. Smith, of 

 Glanford, San Jose scale inspector for the 

 province. Mr. Smith for several years has 

 been in close touch with the work of fight- 

 ing the scale, and consequently is in a good 

 position to speak authoritatively concern- 

 ing it. 



" An encouraging feature of the present 

 situation," continued Mr. Smith, "is that 

 growers are spraying as they never sprayed 

 before. There has been a large increase 

 this season in the number of growers who 

 have bought spraying machinery. Last 

 year there were only three power sprayers 

 in use in the province. This year eleven 

 have been used for the scale alone, not 

 counting those used by the Dominion De- 

 partment of Agriculture. This year 86,464 



pounds of sulphur have been purchased to 

 use in fighting this pest. This is fully one- 

 third more than was purchased last year 

 and twice as much as two years ago, al- 

 though the area in which the scale is located 

 has increased very little during that period. 



" In most of the infected localities the 

 people appear to be thoroughly alive to the 

 necessity for action. All through these 

 sections may be seen boiling plants of every 

 description, from the threshing engine boil- 

 ing the lime and sulphur either in large 

 tanks or rows of barrels, to the work of the 

 individual who boils his spraying mixture 

 alone in iron kettles. 



WHY the; scale may spread. 



" There are two great dangers. In the 

 sections which are seriously infested with 

 the scale many growers have become ro 

 thoroughly discouraged that they have given 

 up all attempts to fight the pest. The con- 

 sequence is these districts become bad breed- 

 ing points for the scale and infest other sec- 

 tions, and the orchards of growers who con- 

 tinue their preventive measures. It seems 

 hard to convince these men who have given 

 up, that all other sections where the scale 

 has gained a foothold are not so badly in- 

 fested as their own. 



" The second danger lies in the difficulty 

 we find in convincing growers who have not 



