158 PROCEEDINGS OP THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



among the citrus growers. As stated on a previous page, we have not 

 found a reliable parasite for these pests, but we have one in view in 

 the Hawaiian Islands which belongs to the true flies and is about the 



size of our Scutellista. 



Two other scale insects, which so far are without reliable parasites, 

 are the purple scale and the red scale of the orange. The last sendings 

 which were received by the State Commissioner were carefully propa- 

 gated and were distributed under the most favorable conditions with 

 an unlimited food supply, and yet, after nearly a year's waiting, we 

 are unable to find much progress in the work of reduction. Scattering 

 widely, as these parasites do, it may be a year yet before their presence 

 is made manifest; we must not wait too long, however, but continue 

 our search for other parasites, until we find the one which, with all 

 the others, will be able to -keep these two pests below the danger line. 



The black peach aphis is an introduced Eastern pest, and in some 

 sections has done considerable damage to the peach orchards, We 

 don't know of any parasite which will keep this pest in check. We 

 might be able to find some ladybird which will take hold of it. 



The Hessian fly (Cecidomyia destructor) at times causes great dam- 

 age to the growing grain'of California, and only for the burning of the 

 stubble and for the practice of the rotation of crops it would considera- 

 bly shorten the output. Several years ago the Division of Entomology, 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, imported a parasite from England, 

 Entedon epigonus. It might be possible to procure this same insect 

 and liberate it in some of the infested valleys. 



At times our tent caterpillars and canker-worms become unusually 

 abundant and do great damage. As there are so many species of para- 

 sites which attack this class of insects we should endeavor to introduce 

 those which might help to decrease them. 



Tussock moth (Hemerocampa vetusta) abounds in some of the fruit 

 sections of our State and does much damage, especially in the apple 

 orchards. We have a few parasites, especially an egg parasite, Teleno- 

 rrius calif ornicus, which helps to reduce its numbers ; but there are sev- 

 eral parasites which attack the Eastern species, H. leucostigma, and 

 these would be an additional help toward keeping our species below the 

 danger limit. 



We can hardly expect that all imported parasites will take hold in 

 our State, and if we succeed in getting one good parasite out of every 

 ten, it will pay us to keep up the search. I understand that the cost 

 of going after the Vedalia amounts to about $1,500, and if we consider 

 for a moment the enormous value of the citrus industry and what this 

 and the deciduous fruit industry have done to build up California, I 

 think you will agree with me that if we had spent $150,000 we would 

 yet be much ahead of the game. Since the advent of the Vedalia in 

 1888, this State has spent about $50,000 in the search for parasites of 



