THE ENEMIES OF PLANT LIFE 



As soon as the flies were abundant enough, 

 colonies of them were sent out to different 

 parts of Cahfornia and at once began searching 

 out the worms and putting them to death. 

 Actual work on a scale large enough to show 

 appreciable results was begun in the season of 

 1905. Favorable reports began coming in to 

 the commission shortly after the liberation of 

 the initial colonies. Indications at once pointed 

 to a condition of affairs approaching similar to 

 that in Spain, the flies so rapidly destroying the 

 worms that it must be a matter of a compara- 

 tively short time before the whole state will be 

 patrolled by these tiny protectors guarding the 

 orchards. The extension of the same plan to 

 other infested regions will apparently eradicate 

 this long-dreaded foe of the American apple 

 orchards. 



Another pest, a black scale, made its appear- 

 ance. It promised to be as disastrous as the 

 cottony cushion scale. Investigation disclosed 

 the natural foe of this pest, another ladybird, 

 living in South Africa, black in color and 

 somewhat larger than the tiny red ladybird. 

 From Cape Town branches of oleander bear- 

 ing the eggs of the foe were sent to San Fran- 



95 



