144 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
TIDE IS CHANGING. 
Dr. Smith Makes Timely Suggestions—Vexa¬ 
tious San Jose Scale Restrictions Admis- 
SABLE Only Under Great Necessity- 
Does That Necessity Exist? 
Dr. John B. Smith, entomologist of New Jersey, the author 
of a valuable work on economic entomology, and one of the 
highest authorities in the country on the subject of the San 
Jose scale, has made the following timely suggestions in an 
article in the American Agriculturist: 
It has been charged, and not without some show of reason, 
that entomologists and some others are losing their heads in 
the matter of dealing with this insect, and that there is an un¬ 
necessary, and somewhat hysterical excitement created by an 
overabundance of lurid talk, accompanied by an absence of 
careful study and work. The charge is not without some show 
of reason for, after all, what basis is there for all the fuss that 
has been made? It is about time that the subject was con¬ 
sidered carefully and without excitement; lest the re-action, 
when it comes, as it inevitably must, destroy confidence in the 
warnings of the entomologist altogether. 
The results, thus far, of the agitation have been restrictive 
laws of doubtful constitutional value in some states, the im¬ 
position of license fees on the nursery business in others, and 
“ rules and regulations ” and examination in some more, so 
that the nurseryman shipping outside his own state has not the 
least idea of what will happen to his stock before it reaches 
his customer; if indeed it ever reaches him. Sometimes he 
must have a certificate of inspection, and in one case must file 
it in another state in exchange for printed permits to ship into 
that state. All these are vexatious restrictions that are only 
admissable under stress of the clearest necessity. 
Does such a necessity really exist ? 
The San Jose scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus, Comstock) is 
one of the so-called “armored” scales, the insect itself being 
hidden and protected by a covering of a tough tissue, secreted 
by the insect itself and supplemented by its cast skins. There 
are other species of the same and allied genera, with equally 
"dense coverings, that occur in the Atlantic states; but this per¬ 
niciosus is an importation from the Pacific coast—which is all 
that we really know of its nativity. Professor Cockerell argues 
that it is a native of Japan, and his arguments are weighty, but 
there is no real proof ; all is inference, based, I admit, on es¬ 
tablished facts, but the facts are insufficient and inconsistent 
with other conclusions. 
But that we have to deal with an imported insect is nothing 
really new—we have others that have come to us and have 
done us woful harm—cabbage butterflies, elm leaf beetles, 
asparagus beetles, horn flies, and others too numerous to men¬ 
tion. Even from the great West we have an immigrant in the 
form of the Colorado potato beetle that is “no slouch,” as the 
boys would say. 
Is it so much more destructive than other pests ? Not at all. 
Let the potato beetle alone, and the potato harvest can be 
easily gathered in most years. Allow the cutworms free range 
in any planted crop, and see how much is left for the farmer. 
Permit the canker worms to range as they will in an apple 
chard, and how much fruit will be gathered ? These are 
cases imperiling either fruit only or an annual crop; but how 
about peach borers or round headed apple or quince borers ? 
Let them go unchecked and how long a lease of life has a 
tree ? No, the San Jose scale is not a particle more destruc¬ 
tive than many of our native species or than those to which we 
have become used. 
It is no more of a menace to fruit culture than the codling moth 
or plum curculio,which must be annually and persistently fought 
to secure a crop that will pass muster and bring remunerative 
prices. It does not compare with fungus troubles in rapidity 
of effect. Note the fire blight and other blights in apple and 
pear orchards. Almost over night a thrifty orchard may be 
practically ruined, and the various forms of rots, molds and 
smuts are infinitely worse than San Jose or any other scale 
insect. 
Its coming does add a new pest to be dealt with. It is a 
new factor in fruit growing that makes it increasingly difficult 
and more expensive, and adds to the demand for intelligence 
and ability on the part of the grower. 
Other insects have offered problems apparently as difficult. 
For instance, the “ pear midge,” which oviposits in the blossom, 
whose larva feeds in the pear fruit beyond reach of insecticides, 
and emerges from its shelter only to drop to the ground 
and go beneath the surface. Yet we have mastered this 
species and control it easily ; so easily indeed and withal so 
completely that in some places it has been apparently—note 
the word—exterminated. 
CALIFORNIA FRUIT PESTS. 
A despatch from Tacoma, Wash., to the San Francisco 
Pacific Rural Press under date of September 23d says : 
“Horticultural inspector P. W. Tonneson to-day began a 
rigid inspection of California fruits shipped into this city. 
The steamer Walla Walla arrived this morning from San Fran¬ 
cisco, bringing considerable fruit, including apples, grapes, 
quinces and lemons, which Inspector Tonneson had piled up 
in the warehouses for inspection before delivery. One ship¬ 
ment of apples was condemned because found wormy and unfit 
for market. Other shipments are undergoing careful examina¬ 
tion. The object of the inspection is to prevent the importa¬ 
tion of the San Jose scale, the codlin moth and poor fruit. 
“The Tacoma authorities are right about this, as were the 
authorities at Victoria and Seattle a few weeks back. It is a 
grave outrage to ship infected fruits, not only to those who 
are expected to receive them but to the interest of our fruit 
people. Whoever the guilty shippers are, they deserve to lose 
their stuff, and there is nobody in California to sympathize 
with them. And not only should no bad fruit be allowed to 
leave the state, but none should be allowed to be sold at home. 
The back streets of San Francisco swarm with hawkers whose 
wagons are filled with the disgusting product of infected 
orchards. As long as this is allowed, we shall not soon stamp 
out the pests which trouble fruit growers.” 
Samuel Smith, Carbondale, Ill., offers Southern Illinois nat¬ 
ural peach pits. 
Peach and plum are specialties with Flemer & Felmly, 
Springfield, N. J. They guarantee stock good and prices 
right. 
