SAN JOSE SCALE. 



75 



tion in my mind that this Junior Naturalist 

 movement will be rich in the results bearing- 

 upon the uplifting- and advancing of the 

 farmer's position and interests throughout 

 the country. 



Such in brief are the bare outlines of a 



movement whose value and worth are not 

 to be measured by the rural achievements 

 of this decade or of the next quarter of a 

 century. I believe that the results are far- 

 reaching to an extent that we do not at pres- 

 ent appreciate or realize. 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 



Dear Sir, — I enclose you a clipping from 

 the Toronto Globe of Nov. 17, igoo, think- 

 ing that it might escape your notice : 



To the Editor of the Globe : I have been re- 

 quested to again express my opinion in regard to 

 the San Jose scale question, and for different 

 reasons which I have learned, from experience beg 

 to say that I still hold to my original view that 

 this very injurious pest cannot be exterminated 

 unless by extraordinary methods. About seven 

 years ago I purchased four hundred fruit trees, 

 mostly plums. At the time of planting six of these 

 trees were not as vigorous in appearance as the 

 balance, and I felt confident they were suffering 

 from some disease of the bark. I immediately in- 

 vestigated the matter, and by close inspection 

 found that my suspicion was correct. Shortly 

 afterward I had a visit from Mr. Orr and Mr. Bur- 

 rell, who promptly agreed with me that the San 

 Jose scale was the cause of the difficulty. 



At the end of three or four years the scale was 

 distributed throughout my whole orchard, and the 

 result was that the larger portion of my fruit being 

 badly discolored wherever the scale settled upon 

 it, was unsaleable. I have counted as many as 

 five hundred San Jose scale upon a single leaf. 

 The increase of the scale during the first year was 

 small, during the second year large, and during 

 the third year very great. Many applications 

 made to eradicate the scale were of no avail, and 

 those that were applied most forcibly did not even 

 then affect the scale, but ruined the trees. I find 

 this to have been the case, not only in my own 

 experience but in the e.Kperimental spraying done 

 by Government officials, and also in that done by 

 neighboring fruit-growers, who have applied whale 

 oil soap and other chemicals, which in all cases 

 have failed of success. I can point out to you 

 examples of some at any time. Within a short 

 distance of my place there is an apple orchard of 

 about thirty years' standing, which is so terribly 

 infested by the San Jose scale that, may I be per- 

 mitted to say, in a very few years a saleable apple 

 will not be found upon it. Yet my neighbors and 

 I, who have destroyed our trees, will soon have to 

 repeat the dose of chopping out our replanted 

 orchards, unless something is quickly done for our 

 protection, and the only remedy I can suggest is 



the use of an axe in the said infested orchard, and 

 all others similarly affected. 



Freeman, Nov. 10. H. B. Kottmeier. 



Mr. Kottmeier is certainly very positive 

 in his statements in reg-ard to the San Jose 

 scale, and if correct, the sooner his axe rem- 

 edy is applied the better in the interest of 

 fruit growing in his neigfhborhood. On the 

 other hand, I was talking to a Mr. Archi- 

 bald, who manages Mr. McCardal's fruit 

 farm near St. Catharines, this summer. I 

 also consider this farm one of the best in 

 the Niagara district, and one of the best 

 managed fruit farms in Ontario. Now, Mr. 

 Archibald is equally positive that the pest 

 can be eradicated from any orchard by whale 

 oil soap, if applied in the right way and at 

 the right time. He told me that he cleaned 

 two hundred peach trees th s past summer 

 with applications of whale oil soap, I forg-et 

 at present in what proportions. 



I should think from the positiveness of 

 both g^entlemen it would be very interesting- 

 to know which is in the right, and I would 

 suggest to pay Mr. Archibald a visit and 

 have the fruitgrower see for himself. Mr. 

 Archibald is approachable, and would only 

 be glad to give any information asked of 

 him, since it is a strong- statement made by 

 Mr. Kottmeier that the spraying done by 

 Government officials and others were injur- 

 ious to the trees and have not destroyed the 

 scale. Yours, etc., R. Cameron, 



Gardener of Victoria Park, Niagara Falls South. 



