I897-] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



249 



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In the whole category of injurious insects we have not another one that 

 is so difficuh to detect, so pernicious in effects, and breeds as rapidly as 

 the San Jose scale. I fully believe that one may go over nursery stock 

 with the greatest caution practicable and still overlook enough of these in- 

 sects to cause the death of the trees on which they happen to be located 

 within a few years. 



Twice during the past season there has come to my office sections of 

 peach twigs with the question of the presence or absence of San Jos6 

 scale. One of these twigs is shown, as it was 

 presented for mspection, in the left hand 

 figure of the accompanying illustration. The 

 V ''^ most diligent search, with a lens, failed to 

 reveal any outward trace or indications of the 

 presence of San Jos^ scale. The right hand 

 figure represents the same twig with one of 

 the buds removed, and showing a half grown 

 scale that had been completely covered and 

 concealed by the bud. How is an ento- 

 mologist to detect similar cases in inspectir.g 

 nursery stock ? Where the premises whereon 

 the stock is grown can be inspected, there 

 is a better opportunity offered to detect the 

 scale, and less danger for the entomologist 

 l,,i| provided, of course, that his certificate is 

 never placed on stock grown on other prem- 

 ises which he has not inspected. But, as will 

 be seen, the danger in any case is frightful. 

 Last Winter I found the San Jos^ scale in an 

 orchard and on trees set about a residence. 

 All trees at all seriously infested were 

 promptly cut out and burned, and the re- 

 mainder treated with the whale oil soap mix- 

 ture, and it was supposed that the outDreak 

 had been suppressed so that the scale would 

 not spread during the Summer. At a con- 

 siderable distance away was a small block of 

 nursery stock. This I examined once care- 

 fully and later my assistant examined it twice 

 very thoroughly, and neither of us could de- 

 tect a single scale on the stock. This being the case the owner could not 

 be refused a certificate of apparent freedom from San Jose scale. This 

 Fall this same block was found to be infested, to a very slight degree, 

 from one side to the other, and it now seems possible that there might 

 have been a few scales in it when the certificate was given. 



For my own part I have become exceedingly suspicious of the influence 

 of ants in scattering the San Jos^ scale not only above ground, but below 



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