LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Entomology, 



Washington, D. C, June 2, 1909. 

 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for publication a 

 manuscript entitled " Fumigation of Apples for the San Jose Scale," 

 prepared by Mr. A. L. Quaintance, in charge of Deciduous Fruit 

 Insect Investigations of this Bureau. 



The possibility of the dissemination of the San Jose scale on fruit 

 has been frequently under discussion, and while it is the consensus 

 of opinion of American entomologists that this danger is negligible, 

 many European governments have in operation laws and decrees 

 providing for the inspection of imported American fruits and the 

 exclusion of such as may show the presence of this insect. 



The likelihood that the marking of the fruit by the scale will 

 increase rather than diminish renders desirable some method of 

 treatment which will destroy the insect and thus remove any objec- 

 tion to its importation or shipment. In cooperation with Mr. William 

 A. Taylor, of Field Investigations in Pomology, Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, an investigation was undertaken by the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology to determine the possibility of fumigating apples with hydro- 

 cyanic acid and other gases. The results of this investigation are 

 given in the accompanying manuscript, which I recommend for 

 publication as Bulletin No. 84 of the Bureau of Entomology. 

 Respectfully, 



L. O. Howard, 

 Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



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