688 THE FRUIT INDUSTBY IN NEW YORK STATE 



On the brown-tail moth we should continue the contest as 

 long as possible, though the time may come when this pest shall 

 come upon us because of its great habit of night, it having been 

 known to spread many miles in a single season. Prevailing west- 

 erly winds may help us to some extent, and we now have hopes 

 that the natural parasitic enemies of this pest may ultimately 

 reduce the danger. Recent developments in New England are 

 to the effect that the brown-tail moth is not largely increasing its 

 habitation there. 



Considerable attention is continually given to the plantings 

 made by the park systems of the state, and also to those of the 

 private grounds of large estates wherever extensive plantings 

 have been made of imported trees in the last fifteen years. 



ORCHARD WORK 



As the inspectors of the department have opportunity from 

 time to time, attention is given to an inspection of orchards in 

 various parts of the state with a view of assisting the owners 

 in the control of dangerously injurious insects and fungous dis- 

 eases. Since there is no law requiring orchardists to spray their 

 trees, as has been adopted in the western states for the eradication 

 of codling moth and similar insects, our work must be confined 

 to the destructively injurious types. 



When the San Jose scale appeared in 1898, the orchardists 

 themselves were very much alarmed and believed that it would 

 be only a short time before their industry would be exterminated. 

 At that time it was believed that the only remedy for the con- 

 trol of the scale was to have the trees dug out wherever infection 

 was discovered. A few orchards were condemned and destroyed, 

 and it was at least five years later before an adequate remedy 

 was found for the control of San Jose scale. Formulae used up to 

 that time were more destructive than the scale itself, and the 

 idea became apparent that something must be done to find a 

 remedy and save the fruit as well as the trees. The department 

 decided that no more orchard trees should be destroyed, but that 

 the then so-called lime-sulphur-salt solution should be used, if 

 necessary under compulsory orders of the Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture. Since that time the rapid improvement of insecticides 



