160 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



in a moist atmosphere, they would grow; otherwise, they 

 would not. 



While this fungus is a native of a aub-tropical climate, it 

 is an unsettled question whether it can be made effective in 

 the northern parts of the United States. Professor Craig 

 of Canada stated, at the meeting of the Association of 

 Economic Entomologists, held in Detroit last August, that 

 the San Jose scale occurred in British Columbia and m 

 Ontario, where it had been known to exist for at least four 

 years. He further said that fungous cultures, received from 

 Professor Rolfs, had been used in inoculation tests in the 

 laboratory, but with no practical results. 



Artificial Remedies. 

 Many remedies have been tried for the destruction of the 

 San Jose scale, both on the Pacific coast and in the east ; 

 and of these, but three methods of treatment have seemed to 

 prove effectual in the east. These are fire, whale-oil soap 

 and hydrocyanic acid gas, — and the best of these is fire. 

 There is nothing quite equal to cremation for the San Jose 

 scale. When a number of trees in a nursery are found in- 

 fested, the safest and most effectual plan is to burn that 

 entire block of trees, and also treat all others in the vicinity 

 with whale-oil soap. This soap, two pounds to one gallon 

 of water, is the simplest and cheapest preparation that has 

 thus far been used ; and it has proved comparatively satisfac- 

 tory, though in some cases it is reported not to kill all the 

 scales, even when used as strong as three pounds to one gal- 

 lon of water. A solution should be made of not less than 

 two pounds of the soap to one gallon of hot water, and ap- 

 plied while warm Avith a spray pump. Prof. J. B. Smith, 

 who has had a large experience with the various methods of 

 destroying this insect, thinks that the best results on bearing 

 trees may be obtained by spraying them with whale-oil or 

 fish-oil soap, at the rate of one pound to a gallon of water as 

 soon as the trees are dormant in the fall, and a second time, 

 at the rate of two pounds to a gallon of water, early in the 

 spring, just before the buds begin to swell. After the spray- 

 ing the trees should be carefully pruned, to get rid of as 



