THE SAN JOSE SCALE 



297 



it. He should also wash at least the trunk and larger branches with 

 a kerosene emulsion, diluted by no more than live parts of water; 

 and he should, finally, trim back to the smallest possible amount of 

 wood, burning or otherwise destroying all the cuttings," thereby 

 facilitating the growth of the tree, and disposing of the eggs of 

 the Aphides or plant-lice and of mites occurring on the smaller twigs. 



Dr. Smith -also offers the following : — " Purchasers of nursery stock 

 could insist on a written guarantee with each lot of stock purchased, 

 that they are clean and free from insect pests, and had not been, in 

 the nursery, affected by any plant disease, nor grown in the vicinity 

 of diseased trees 



It is not probable that the New Jersey or Long Island nursery- 

 men would give such a guarantee, nor does it seem that they could 

 eafely do so. "Were they, one and all, skilled entomologists they 

 might, even then, with reason, decline to commit themselves so 

 broadly, — covering insects of all kinds, both exposed to view and 

 hidden from the eye. But for the present, at least, while the scale 

 infestation of these localities is so generally known, some assurance 

 of protection will be demanded by all to whom the knowledge has 

 come, before further orders are sent to the nurseries involved. 



The following form of certificate is offered to the consideration of 

 purchasers and nurserymen, in the belief that it would prove equally 

 beneficial to each party. Without it, or something to the same 

 effect, there is reason to believe, from action about to be taken in 

 another State, that some of the unfortunate nurseries may suffer for 

 a time from a " boycott ". Let it be understood — there is no dis- 

 position on the part of any entomologist to magnify the danger to 

 important interests from this newly introduced pest, but simply to 

 accept it at its full magnitude : — 



I do hereby certify that the stock sent out herewith has been 

 examined by a competent entomologist, and has been pronounced 

 by him, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to be free from 

 living San Jose scales (Aspidiotus perniciosus) ; and in the event 

 of its being shown that the stock now sent has carried with it the 

 living insects, I do hereby agree to replace it free of cost with 

 uninfested stock. 



Proposed Legislation 

 No legislation has been had in the State of New York against insect 

 pests. Laws of this character, more or less broad and stringent, have 

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