16 THE SAN JOSE OR CHINESE SCALE. 



HISTORY IN THE EAST. 



The general records of the discovery of the insect in the East are 

 reproduced, with slight changes, from Bulletin 3. 



The occurrence of the San Jose scale in the East was first discovered 

 early in August, 1893, in the grounds of Dr. C. H. Hedges, of Char- 

 lottesville, Va. An infested pear had been sent by Doctor Hedges to 

 Mr. Gallowa}^, chief of the Division of Vegetable Physiolog}^ and 

 Pathology of the Department of Agriculture, on the supposition that 

 it was affected by a fungous disease. The fruit was submitted to the 

 then acting entomologist, Doctor Howard, who immediatel}^ recognized 

 the injury as due to the San Jose scale, and the startling and deplor- 

 able fact was established of the introduction into eastern orchards of 

 this worst scourge of deciduous trees of the Pacific Slope, as well as 

 the fact that it was evidently able to maintain itself in a supposedly 

 less favorable climate. The importance of this discovery was at once 

 realized, and two agents of the Bureau, Messrs. Schwarz and Coquil- 

 lett, were detailed to make a thoro investigation. In conjunction with 

 the State board of agriculture of Virginia and under the supervision 

 of Mr. Coquillett a thoro fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas was 

 given to the infested trees and plants. 



The introduction of the scale was subsequently traced to currant 

 bushes purchased from a New Jersey firm. 



In March, 1894, the presence of the scale was determined by Doctor 

 Howard, at Riverside, Charles County, Md., in a rather large orchard 

 situated on the river front, and including over two thousand peach 

 and several hundred apple trees. This orchard was visited by the 

 writer, who found that many of the trees were infested with the San 

 Jose scale, large numbers having already perished. The infested stock 

 was again in this instance traced to a New Jersey nursery. This 

 orchard, on account of its proximity to Washington and the facilities- 

 thus afforded for experiment, was used b}^ the Bureau in the testing 

 of various washes for this scale. 



During the same month (March, 1891) specimens of the San Jose 

 scale were received from De Funiak Springs, Fla., thru the ento- 

 mologist of the Florida Experiment Station, Mr. P. H. Rolfs. The 

 late Mr. H. G. Hubbard, one of the assistants of the division, visited 

 the infested locality and found the scales confined chiefly to peach 

 and plum, occurring, however, in small numbers on Kieffer pear, 

 pecan, and persimmon. Man}^ thousands of trees were found to be 

 infested, including nearly every orchard within a radius of 5 or 6 

 miles. The source of the infestation in this case was not definitely 

 ascertained, but it was evident after examination that some infested 

 nursery had sent a shipment of trees, and the indications were that 



