Economic Entomology* 
REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE, BY PROF. H. A. GOSSARD, 
CHAIRMAN. 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
This year’s report from your Commit¬ 
tee on Entomology must be in some re¬ 
spects one of encouragement, and in 
others of not such cheerful character. 
COTTONY CUSHION SCALE. 
The citrus growers will be glad to 
know that cottony cushion scale need 
no longer be considered a serious eco¬ 
nomic factor in orange growing, even 
where it is now established. We have 
kept the insect and its enemies under 
observation for more than two years be¬ 
fore making such a positive announce¬ 
ment, and make it now because we are 
sure the statement will stand. Those 
of you who are upon the Experiment 
Station mailing list will receive full de¬ 
tails of observations and conclusions in 
bulletin form in a few days. Last sum¬ 
mer’s work and observations with the 
insect may be summarized as follows: 
As predicted in the last report on En¬ 
tomology, made to this body, the scale 
became very numerous and threatening 
in June and July, at which time it was 
attacked by fungous disease, as it had 
been the preceding summer, and by the 
middle of July from fifty to seventy-five 
per cent, of the scales had succumbed. 
It was evident, however, that a grove 
could not live through more than four 
or five summers of undisturbed attack 
and that the crop would practically fail 
after the first two years. 
About the first of June three colonies 
of Australian lady-bugs were received 
at Clearwater from Mr. Alexander Craw, 
of the California State Board of Horti¬ 
culture, one being sent to Mr. John 
Thomson at the request of the Entomol¬ 
ogist, the other two going to Mr. H. C. 
Markley by request of his brother re¬ 
siding in California. Mr. Thomson was 
advised to have an infested tree tented 
with cheese cloth for the reception of the 
insects upon their arrival, as previous 
experience in putting bugs upon open 
trees had failed to give satisfactory re¬ 
sults. Mr. Markley followed the same 
plan, using canvas instead of cheese 
cloth. One of his colonies was liber¬ 
ated upon a tree standing in his yard in 
Clearwater, and the other, by advice of 
Mr. Thomson, was sent to the grove of 
Mr. Wm. McMullen, about seven miles 
from town. Instructions were given to 
remove the tents in about ten days after 
the insects were received,, so they might 
scatter to other trees, and also that the 
conditions for fungus attack upon the 
scales might be made as unfavorable as 
possible. An examination made about 
one month after the lady-bugs were 
