No. 4.] STATE NURSEKY INSPECTOR. 209 



The first nursery inspection under the present law Avas 

 made in tlie fall of 1902, nearly ten years after the scale was 

 first discovered in Massachusetts. During those ten years 

 this pest had established itself in quite a number of different 

 localities in the State, and since that time it has been increas- 

 ing and spreading from those places. The number of agents 

 for trees and slirubs who travel tlirough this State is quite 

 large, and most of these sell stock from nurseries in other 

 States. From what has already been said as to the infes- 

 tation of this stock, as shown by what is bought by Massa- 

 chusetts nurseries and from what has been observed by the 

 inspector, it is probable that each j^ear since 1892 has seen 

 the establishment of a number of new colonies of this scale 

 in the State ; and sufficient time has now elapsed for these 

 colonies to have thoroughly established themselves and to 

 spread in all directions. 



The result of this is only what might be expected. It is 

 probable that the scale is now present in nearly every town 

 in Massachusetts, at least east of the Berkshire hills, and 

 that, while its presence may not be known for the first tlu'ee 

 or four years after its introduction, it has in a great many 

 places become a very serious problem. As an illustration 

 of this, it may be stated that in 1901 one infested spot was 

 known in the town of Amherst ; to-day the inspector knows 

 of fifteen, many of them widely separated, and in some cases 

 at least directly traceal)le to stock sold by "tree peddlers." 



In some places the scale can be found almost continuously 

 on one or another of its more favored food plants over a 

 territory of several square miles. Under such circumstances 

 as these the presence of the San Jose scale in nurseries be- 

 comes comparatively unimportant, as compared Avitli its gen- 

 eral presence in the orchards and on the ornamental shrubs 

 and trees around our homes. It is interestinof in this con- 

 nection to note that much fruit for sale in our markets shows 

 evidence of the presence of this pest ; and prizes have this 

 fiill been awarded at exhibitions in this State to specimens 

 of fruit marked by this scale. 



This is a serious condition, and one for which nursery 

 inspection cannot be held responsible, as in most cases it 



