— 98 — 



less expensive, do much more thorough work, and never work any injury 

 to the fruit, foliage, or trees. Certainly no one should think of spray- 

 ing for such insects as the Icerya purchasi, when we have a Vedalia 

 cardinalis right at hand, to be had simply for the asking, and which 

 is a safe, sure, and absolute preventive of harm and danger. We 

 must keep the Vedalia, and need all of the fluted scale that we can dis- 

 cover to feed them; and yet I have seen more than once the past season 

 men engaged in fumigation, treating many trees, because a few of 

 these cottony cushion scales had been discovered on a single orange tree. 

 Such discovery should rather please us, as affording an opportunity to 

 feed the little Australian benefactor, which we cannot afford to starve 

 or permit to be banished from our orchards. 



If I may make suggestions, I would urge that Mr. Koebele be secured 

 for a series of years to look for foreign predaceous and parasitic insects. 

 The expense would be a mere bagatelle, the possible, yea probable, 

 benefits would be a thousand fold more than the expense. 



Mr. Alexander Craw, under the direction of the State Board of 

 Horticulture, has done an excellent service the past season in col- 

 lecting and distributing the Rhizobbii, but he cannot possibly do all 

 that needs to be done. In both Southern and Northern California 

 there should be an expert entomologist to study closely the orchards, 

 to give advice, and to collect and distribute, or arrange for the distribu- 

 tion of, any and all such insects as promised aid in ridding the orchards 

 of insect foes. The fruit interests of California are immense, and far 

 more than warrant the slight expense required to secure competent 

 service. If the fruit men would unite in demanding such service, there 

 can hardly be a doubt but that the Legislature would gladly grant their 

 request. And once the positions created and wisely filled, there would 

 no longer be any question of the wisdom of the action, or difficulty in 

 securing enactments continuing the service. 



INSECT PESTS AND THEIR PARASITES. 



By Prof. T. N. Snow, of Santa Barbara. 



Inasmuch as my subject concerns every citizen of the State in gen- 

 eral, and every fruit grower in particular, I deem no apolog}^ is neces- 

 sary in presenting this essay for your most careful consideration. My 

 theme is not new. It is as broad as the earth and as long as the 

 memory of man. It is a matter of deep interest to every nation in the 

 civilized world, and the interest is increasing as the years go by. 



On an occasion like this, I can give but a brief epitome of the insect 

 history under discussion; many points on which I would like to dwell 

 must be passed in silence, or with a few words. I make statements 

 which others have already made, but I will endeavor to give credit where 

 credit is due, and if I overstep the time allotted to this paper, I trust 

 your President will promptly " call a halt." 



There was a time prior to written history, when, without doubt, 

 injurious insects did not exist in numbers sufficient to be troublesome. 

 Insect life, like animal life, was but a part of one harmonious whole in 

 the economy of nature. It was as necessary to the maintenance of an 



