CHAPTER VIII. 



SCALE PESTS: SAN JOSE, OYSTER SHELL, 

 SCURFY, ETC. 





If hogs or cattle could multiply cs fast as scale lice, human 

 beings would soon be crowded off the earth. Dorothy Tucker. 



The most serious insect pest which confronts the 

 orchardist of today, is undoubtedly the San Jose scale 

 louse. It came to this country on nursery stock from 

 Japan, and first took root in San Jose, Cal. It is sup- 

 posed that it was brought east to New Jersey about 

 twenty-five years ago, and it has spread until now it 

 menaces the larger part of the United States. 



In a single season a female may become the pro- 

 genitor of 1,608,040,200 individuals. The louse hides 

 under a scale that is impervious to most insecticides. 



It attacks all orchard 

 trees, roses, small fruit 

 bushes, and many lawn 

 shrubs and vines. 



The louse can crawl rap- 

 idly, and is often carried by 

 birds, insects and heavy 

 winds. 



The insects are too small 

 to be easily seen with the 

 naked eye, but the scale can 

 be seen. Bark of affected trees has a grayish or ashy 

 appearance, in bad cases. It is the louse and not the 

 scale that does the harm. 



(67) 



ADULT FEMALE SAN JOSE 

 SCALE WITH YOUNG 



(ENLARGED, AS SEEN 

 THROUGH A MAGNIFYING 



GLASS) 



