FUMIGATION OF APPLES FOR THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The possibility of the establishment in new localities of the San 
Jose scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus Comst.) from shipments of scale- 
infested fruit, principally apples and pears, has been the subject of 
frequent discussion among entomologists and others. On the whole 
it seems to be the consensus of opinion that, although this danger un- 
doubtedly exists, the chances of establishment from this source are 
exceedingly remote. 
The great bulk of the fruit harboring this insect is sold in cities and 
towns and the parings and refuse are mostly disposed of in a way to 
effectively prevent any young crawling “lice” from reaching plants 
upon which they could establish themselves. The fruit, furthermore, 
is offered for sale mostly during the late fall and winter, a time when 
the temperature is too low to favor the activity of the crawling young 
or to favor their production by the adult females. The danger of 
their establishment would perhaps be greatest in the case of varieties 
of fruit maturing in late summer or early fall, which would reach the 
markets some weeks before the approach of cool weather, thus afford- 
ing a period for the breeding of the scales present and, should they 
succeed in reaching a suitable host plant, for the necessary growth 
of the young to enable them to survive the winter. Their chances 
of survival would be correspondingly increased if the infested fruit 
were shipped to a warm or subtropical climate. Also, infested fruit 
kept for a time during the winter in a warm room, or in a conservatory, 
closely adjacent to suitable potted or other host plants, might result 
in the infestation of these plants and the later spreading of the insects 
to plants out of doors. 
In the case of fruit used for culinary and dessert purposes, the 
refuse parts, as peel and core, are very largely consigned to the gar- 
bage, effectively eliminating any danger from that source. With fruit 
eaten out of doors, as obtained from fruit stands, it is conceivable 
that the refuse parts might by a strange chance be discarded in a way 
to constitute a source of danger. Thus, a pedestrian passing along 
a street or country road, in the act of eating an apple, might care- 
lessly throw aside the peel, which lodging in a suitable host plant 
might result in the scales obtaining a foothold. But it must be 
89165—Bull. 84—09——_2 if 
