33 



About a year aud a half ago all the larger Massachusetts nurseries 

 were examined. The scale was found to occur in three of these nurs- 

 eries, and last spring another was added to the list. Only one was 

 infested to any considerable extent. In one case the nursei-y became 

 infested through Japanese plums bought from a New Jersey source. 

 The scale at this place was discovered by the writer during the fall of 

 1896, and at the time his inexperience in combating the insect led him 

 to advise the destruction of only such trees as were found infested. The 

 failure of this course of action was shown in the summer of 1897, when 

 an extension of the colony was fomid on trees adjacent to the ones 

 destroyed. Profiting by the experience, all the trees over a large area 

 aroimd the infested spot were sacrificed, with the result that an exam- 

 ination made in the fall of 1897 and another during the present month 

 failed to reveal the presence of the scale. 



In another case a limited infestation was found on Japanese quinces 

 received as a gift from the educational institution previously referred 

 to. The nursery owner, as soon as the facts of the case were known, at 

 once destroyed, under the writer's supervision, not only all the infested 

 bushes, but large blocks of apparently non-infested fruit and shade trees 

 standing near by. Finally, a large iimiigation house containing three 

 chambers was built, and in it has been treated all stock bought and 

 sold since the discovery of the scale on the premises Feb. 9, 1898. An 

 examination of this nursery was made June 18, 1898, and no San Jose 

 scale was found. 



In a third nursery, Mr. Robert A. Cooley, assistant entomologist to the 

 Hatch Experiment Station, in 1897 found a limited occurrence of the 

 scale on trees bought from another Massachusetts nursery that was 

 known to have been infested for some time. In this case infested and 

 suspected stock was burned, and all the trees in the vicinity were given 

 a liberal application of whale-oil soaj) solution. A fumigation house 

 was erected, and in it all stock sold since that time has been treated. 

 A subsequent inspection showed the presence of a few scales, when 

 more of the stock was burned ; and at a recent inspection, June 14, 1898, 

 Mr. Cooley informs me that he was unable to find a single San Jose 

 scale. 



There is one nursery in this State that should receive both praise and 

 blame ; and, that there may be no misunderstanding, the writer will 

 state that he now refers to the Shady Hill nursery located at Bedford, 

 Mass. This nursery doubtless became infested from the older nursery 

 of the same name located at Cambridge, Mass. 1 was informed by Mr. 

 Pratt, a member of the firm, that the original infestation of the Cam- 

 bridge nursery took place through the introduction of infested stock 

 from Trenton, N. J., in 1890 or 1891. Mr. C. P. Loimsbury found the 

 San Jose scale abundant at the Bedford nursery in 1895, and, from the 

 frequency with which the occurrences of the scale in various parts of 

 the State were traced to this nurseiy, it became evident that it was, 

 doubtless unintentionally, disseminating the insect to a considerable 

 degree. The matter was brought to the attention of the firm by Pro- 

 fessor Fernald in 1895, and I am informed that as a consequence a num- 

 ber of infested trees were destroyed. The general infestation of the 

 nursery continued, however, until the spring of 1897, when an honest 

 attempt was made to eradicate the pest. Under the writer's supervision, 

 on April 16 and 17 all known infested and all suspected trees (some 

 six thousand in number) were dug and burned, and, as a precautionary 

 measure, the soap solution was applied to several hundred apparently 

 non-infested trees. The building of a fumigation house was recom- 

 mended to the ownei's, and, while this was not done, it should be con- 

 ceded that at this time the firm made great pecuniary sacrifices, and 

 did all in human power to destroy the scale on trees standing in their 

 nursery. As a result of this treatment, a Iiasty examination made in 



