118 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
Ifn Common Council. 
Editor National Nurseryman : 
In reply to the “ Passing of the Scale Scare ” on page 109 
in your October number, I think a little explanation is 
needed. The nurserymen of the United States should appre¬ 
ciate a trained entomologist, but a political inspector should 
be denounced. It is disgusting to the nurserymen to allow a 
man to be appointed through purely political pleasure to in¬ 
spect an orchard or nursery. It is done to give them a few 
days work during the year at a good round salary, when, as a 
matter of fact, the most of them do not know San Jose scale 
from a tumble-bug. One among the able entomologists of 
the country, I think, is located in this state. He is a man 
who has worked from the start of the scale business—in fact, 
he was in California studying it when it was discovered here 
in the East in 1893. He has been trained in the best universi¬ 
ties of this country and studied four years with Prof. Com¬ 
stock of Cornell University, the man who first discovered and 
described the San Jose scale over twenty years ago. In New 
York, California, Illinois and Maryland his work has been of 
the highest rank, as attested by the complimentary reviews 
and notices given him by the best agricultural and horticul¬ 
tural papers in this and nearly every foreign country. I only 
wish we had a few other men of equal ability who could 
travel over the country as he has and give the world the re¬ 
sults of his researches. 
By following closely his instructions, many a nurseryman in 
this and other states has saved his business ; and thousands 
of fruit growers have been protected at the same time. When 
unavoidable ruin and bankruptcy was staring many nursery¬ 
men in the face, by his unwearied zeal and faithfulness to his 
profession he saved them. I am in a position to know that 
these appeals come to him from several states not far distant, 
and are still coming more numerous than ever. A prominent 
New Yorker, who last winter said in Albany at the State Hor¬ 
ticultural meeting, that he would rather get rid of the codling 
moth than the San Jose scale, is now “ singing another tune ” 
and appealing to Maryland for help. The State of Pennsyl¬ 
vania has asked Maryland to prepare her a bulletin on fumi¬ 
gation. 
Now at a time when nurserymen and fruit growers should 
be most active and wide-awake, come the views of the 
“ Passing of the Scale ” and “ Let Good Enough Alone.” 
You speak of waiting in vain to see where the scale has made 
rapid spread. I could furnish you many instances, especially 
this season, in the United States and Canada, where the 
spread of the scale has been seen and the most of them from 
nurseries heretofore not suspected. There are new cases 
coming up every week in different sections, even where there 
have been men to inspect the premises who do not know what 
the scale is. Not only in our own state, but in a few neigh¬ 
boring states. I am a little surprised to know that our friend, 
Prof. Marlatt, has changed his mind so rapidly, since only a 
few years ago when he made an address before the Peninsula 
Horticultural Society at Denton, Md., he spoke of his experi¬ 
ments in Capt. Emory’s orchard and warned us of the danger 
of the scale. We know that since then there have been thou¬ 
sands of trees destroyed by the scale ; and we know more, 
that there are men who have stopped the fruit business until 
their farms were clean of this insect. I fear you have only 
published one side of the subject. Did not the people in at¬ 
tendance at the Columbus meeting of the Economic Ento¬ 
mologists last August bitterly resent Prof. Marlatt’s state¬ 
ments, and did they not pass a resolution showing they did 
not approve of many of his expressions ? The djscussion 
which followed was the liveliest in the convention, and was 
participated in by the foremost and most prominent members. 
In fact, it was so warm that Dr. Howard, United States ento¬ 
mologist, himself requested a representative of the press 
present not to report the discussion in the spirit it was given. 
Still further, the discussion was so lively the Washington 
authorities have decided not to include it in the proceedings 
of the convention, and that Prof. Marlatt’s address is to be 
modified before being printed. In spite of the above the lit¬ 
tle clause quoted by the National Nurseryman has been 
published to open up the subject in a milder way. When it 
comes to such an important subject as this there should be' 
something fair about it, and the National Nurseryman, as 
a representative of the nursery industries of the United 
States, should publish both sides with the facts and not sim¬ 
ply take the narrow-minded side, leaving off the other which 
has been discussed by other eminent men. This is a matter 
of great importance, as I stated in a short paper read before 
the nurserymen’s convention in Chicago, in June. We are 
pleased to say that there has never been a case of San Jose 
scale in our county, but we are just as precautious as if the 
scale was with us, and we consider it our duty to protect our 
customers to the greatest possible extent. Nurserymen must 
protect each other as well as their fruit-growing customers. 
The nurseryman who wants to accept the “ Let good 
enough alone ” policy will soon find out that he must bestir 
himself to keep in the business. 
There is much to be learned yet, and we hope that there 
will be one honest, energetic and up-.to-date entomologist 
trained in the business in ten years where there is only one 
now ; but we do not need any more political inspectors. 
Orlando Harrison. 
Berlin, Md., October 24, 1899. 
AT BREWER & STANNARD’S. 
Brewer & Stannard, of Ottawa, Kans., are just completing 
an extensive addition to their packing house, which makes a 
frost-proof building, 170 by 135 feet, with railroad switch 
running into the building. This building has heavy stone 
walls, with a brick wall inside, leaving an air space of two 
inches, and the roof is built with air spaces, and also has a 
five-inch layer of mineral wool. There is a very thorough 
system of ventilation, and a splendid water supply, which 
gives them as good packing facilities as any firm in the 
country. 
Knoxville Nursery Co., Knoxville, Tenn.: —“We enclose $1 
as payment for National Nurseryman for one year. We are well 
pleased with the paper and shall continue our subscription.” 
HAS HAD ENOUGH SCALE TALK. 
G. T Kinsey, Paxton, III. Sure, I want the National Nur¬ 
seryman sent me. It’s part of my business. Give us more on care of 
pruning, budding, etc., of stock and less of scale law. I think there is 
more talk than scale. Still it may be good that our state pays out 
$ 8,000 to the boys for coming around and tickling us up. Enclosed 
find $1.” 
