128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



three reasons. The tree is tender, it sets its fruit very scat- 

 tering over the tree, and the equinoctial storm is very apt 

 to put them all on the ground. 



Mr. Newhall. What about the Northern Spy? 

 Mr. Willard. ,It is a standard fruit. It is better in 

 New York than it is in Massachusetts. 



The Chairman. The San Jose scale has been discussed. 

 I think Professor Fernald has had considerable experience 

 with this scale, and we would like to hear from him. 



Professor Fernald. I was rather shocked this morning 

 to hear the remarks of our speaker, Mr. Hale, and I was 

 glad to hear the attitude taken by the speaker this afternoon, 

 and to hear also that the forenoon speaker coincided with 

 him when we had supposed that he was on the other side. 

 I was glad he explained himself. 



We are peculiarly situated here in Massachusetts in regard 

 to this pest, for the reason that there is not a line on our 

 statute books to prevent any infested nursery from outside 

 the State from making this a dumping ground for all the 

 infested stock. Any tree pedler can come in and sell as 

 much of that infested stock as he can get off onto our fruit 

 growers. They are entirely at his mercy. Very few know 

 what the thing is like. Very few can tell it from the other 

 scales. It requires an expert to distinguish between the 

 scales. They cannot all be treated alike. The San Jose 

 scale gives rise to young continuously ; they become so 

 numerous as to destroy the life of the tree. The others have 

 eggs only once a year, and do not multiply so rapidly but 

 that they can be cared for. Cremation is the best thing I 

 know of for the San Jose scale. My sympathies are drawn 

 out very much for the nurserymen in our State. They can- 

 not send their stock into other States without having it 

 examined, and a certificate that it has been examined by a 

 person who has been appointed by State authority in this 

 State. There is no such person. If I were to examine 

 them, as I have been asked to, it would not stand the law 

 in other States. The nurserymen need protection. They 

 are entitled, I believe, to something in this direction, I 

 wonder that they have not petitioned the Legislature to have 

 an officer appointed to inspect the nurseries. 



