TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 81 



nent. They were in pots and one was just then coming into bloom, so 

 there was no question regarding its identity. She was terribly shocked 

 when I informed her that I would have to destroy them. She pleaded 

 that she would keep them in her own garden. We have all the varieties 

 of thistles we want, so she lost her pets and insinuated that I had no 

 patriotism. The Scotch thistle was introduced into Australia and over- 

 ran that country. Laws were enacted to have it stamped out, but the 

 thistles are there yet. 



In referring to the various pests, I will refrain from giving you the 

 scientific names of each and give you the popular names. If, however, 

 you are in doubt regarding any of them, I will be pleased to give it also. 



Australia is the land that gave to California, Cape Colony, and Por- 

 tugal the terrible "cottony cushion scale" (Icerya purchasi ). We are 

 also indebted to it for the destructive "red scale" (Aspidiotus aurantii) 

 of the orange. From that country and Samoa came orange trees and 

 fruit infested with small "snow scales" (Chionaspis citri), a species 

 that is reported to have been the cause of the decay of the old orange 

 trees in Louisiana. The trees and fruit that arrive infested with 

 this scale are always destroyed. I will here state that trees and 

 plants infested with pests not existing in the State are destroyed or 

 deported. If the stock is infested with insects already found in Califor- 

 nia, it is thoroughly fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas, unless the 

 insects are of a serious nature and not found in the district to which 

 the stock is destined. All those I mention having quarantined have 

 been destroyed. 



A long scale (Lecanmm long alium), belonging to the same family as 

 the "brown apricot scale" (Lecanium armeniacum) , and one like the 

 common black scale, but jet black and smooth, came from Australia and 

 Hawaiian Islands. 



A shipment of apples came from Tasmania, via Australia, that were 

 attacked by a small beetle larva? that burrowed through the pulp under 

 the skin. Two loads of four-foot pine wood were piled about the boxes, 

 over all was poured coal oil, and soon we had quite an apple bake. 

 Oranges from the Island Continent that were attacked by a skin fungus 

 were also disposed of. 



A pest of a more conspicuous nature came from the same country. 

 This was a flying-fox. It measured fourteen inches and had a wing- 

 spread of three feet two inches, and belonged to the fruit-eating bats. 

 When it arrived it was enjoying a breakfast of ripe pears and banana. 

 In countries where they exist, great expense is incurred in protecting 

 soft fruit from their attacks. They live in great colonies during the 

 daytime, suspended from the branches of trees, and at night they sally 

 forth and are known to fly for over twenty miles in quest of fruit. That 



6 — BH 



