TPIIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



43 



There are two common enemies of this pest, one a large black beetle 

 {Colosoma angularis) , which feeds upon the worms in both larv;!? and 

 beetle stages. The other enemy is a Tachina fly {Froiitina frciicJiii), 

 which lays its eggs in the worm as it crawls; the eggs hatch out later 

 when the worms are in the pupie stage, and the maggots eat out the 

 pupffi, and in turn pupates and comes out the fly again. I Jiave known 

 ~as high as 90 per cent of the worms to be parasitized in this manner, so 

 that in the breeding jars I Avould get that percentage of the flies instead 

 of the moths. 



Our common feeders, the Chrysopa calif ornica and Chilocorus hivul- 

 nerus, and others feed upon the mites and plant lice to quite an extent. 

 Plant lice also have an enemy in the footless maggot, which devours 

 them in large quantities. 



To sum the question up, it will be seen by the foregoing that we have 

 successful parasites for many of our insect foes and that others are 

 kept in check to a considerable extent. But, while this is a fact, we 

 should not be too easily satisfied and allow the pests that are only 

 partially controlled to continue to lower the value of our orchards ; but 

 we should use the best mechanical methods to control the pests until 

 such a time as the State Commission can secure a parasite that after a 

 thorough test proves itself capable of subduing those remaining. 



In this connection I wish to call attention to the Insectary, which 

 has been maintained in inadequate quarters at San Francisco by the 

 State Commission of Horticulture. At the present time a new building 

 is being erected at Sacramento for the express purpose of accommo- 

 dating this branch of the work. Too much can not be said in commen- 

 dation of our State Commission for the effort it is making to acquire 

 perfect parasites for all of our insect enemies. Continuous search is 

 being made all over the world to secure better parasites for some of the 

 scale insects, as well as additional ones for others. Comparatively little 

 is known by most of our people of the difficulties to be overcome in this 

 work. Sometimes it is difficult to get permission in some of the foreign 

 countries to make the search. Then, after the parasites have been 

 located, methods have to be devised to transfer them in good condition 

 to San Francisco. Some of them have been sent on cuttings, some on 

 infested trees, and sometimes they have been collected in boxes and 

 placed on ice, thus keeping the insects frozen until they arrive at their 

 destination. The next difficulty is food for them, and sometimes it 

 happens that considerable effort must be made to secure this food in 

 sufficient quantities and in such condition that it will keep until used. 



The new building is planned for convenience in breeding and. caring 

 for these insects, and it is to be cared for by those eminently qualified 

 for the work, both through experience and technical knowledge. We 

 may all rest assured that everything is being done by the State Com- 

 mission, and will continue to be done, to advance this line of work for 

 the benefit of the orehardists all over this, the greatest fruit-growing 

 State in the world. 



In closing I want to quote a sentence that appeared in an article by 

 J. H. Comstock in the American Naturalist for December, 1888. 



He said: "We hope that the time is near when the need of an 

 insectary for entomological work will be as fully appreciated as is the 

 necessity for a propagating house for the horticulturist or a conserva- 

 tory for the botanist." I will just add "Them's my sentiments." 



