37 



time, its powers of multijilication are phenomenal, and its spread is con- 

 stant and certain wliere unrestricted or neglected. Expert entomologists 

 who have attemjited to eradicate this insect from orchards have found 

 the problem an exceedingly difficult one. How much more difficult will 

 be the jjroper treatment of the insect at the hands of the farmer, who in 

 the majority of cases can avail himself of only a part of the resources in 

 skill, remedies and appliances at the disposal of the entomologist? The 

 farmer buys a few infested fruit trees, representing desirable varieties. 

 In a few years some of the trees die The farmer avails himself, jier- 

 haps, of the services of the experiment station officials, and finds that 

 not only has the San Jose scale killed his young trees, but that from 

 them a considerable part of his adjacent orchard or shade trees has 

 become infested, and learns that only by constant care and outlay of 

 money or its equivalent can these trees be preserved. This picture is 

 not a creation of fancy. There are only too many duplicates iu this 

 State. The natural outcome of the unrestricted occun'ence of the San 

 Josc'^ scale on a tree is the death of that tree and the infestatiou and 

 death of adjacent trees. This is a fair statement of the case at the present 

 time. In the south the fungous disease to which reference has been 

 made has aided in checking the spread of the scale, while in Caliibrnia 

 it is stated that parasites and predaceous insects have rendered a similar 

 service. Until we know that such natural checks appear in this State, 

 and are restricting the increase of the scale, we must depend upon such 

 remedies as experience has shown to be successful, and upon them alone. 

 There are, however, certain precautions indicated below which should 

 be adopted by all purchasers of nursery stock, in order to prevent as far 

 as possible the introduction of the scale. 



1. Buy First-class Stock. — In buying trees, as well as in buying 

 other goods, the habit of himting for bargains will ultimately prove an 

 expensive one. The dealer who has trees to sell at a price greatly be- 

 low the usual trade rates usually has some potent reason for making the 

 reduction. Cheap trees are usually " culls," and are most liable to be 

 infested with insect pests. Conversely, clean, thrifty stock, while higher 

 in price, is least liable to harbor undesirable or dangerous insects. An 

 abundance of such stock can be obtained from the nurserymen of tiiis 

 State. It may be well to emphasize the fact that it is more to the pur- 

 chaser's advantage to trade with home firms, the condition of whose 

 stock is known, than to buy from remote firms, whose grounds may 

 never have been inspected. In this State, even, one would do better to 

 buy from firms that have had the scale in the past, but on whose grounds 

 none can be found at present, and who are fumigating all stock bought 

 and sold, than to purchase from nurseries whose condition is unknown. 



2. Avoid Tree Peddlers. — The writer would cast no aspersions on the 

 legitiiuate agents of responsible and reputable firms. But there are those 

 best described as " tree peddlers," who go through the farming districts 

 of the State selling trees alleged to possess marvellous fruit-bearing 

 qualities, and delivering second or third class stock, obtained wherever 

 it can be bought the cheapest. A common complaint from farmers 

 and others who have dealt with this class of peddlers is that stock 

 bought of them does not prove true to name. One familiar with their 

 methods could hardly expect the case to be otherwise ; and a man who 

 will knowingly falsify the varieties of trees, probably would not be above 

 selling diseased or infested stock for sound, healthy trees. There are 

 plenty of reputable nursery firms in the State who will give the farmer's 

 small orders the same care and attention paid to those of their largest 

 patrons. Experience in tracing infested stock to its original source has 

 shown that tree peddlers and middlemen have been largely responsible 

 for the dissemination of the scale in this State. 



3. Buij onlji (luarantced or Fwniijated Stock. — With the facilities 

 now available for the examination of nurseries, there is no good reason 



