THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
23 
CALIFORNIA PROSPERITY. 
THE EUROPEAN PEAR SCALE. 
In its annual review and harvest edition, the California Fruit 
Grower states that the season for oranges and lemons, just 
closed, was notable for a moderate sized crop, marketed at sat¬ 
isfactory prices. On Oct. 1st there was sold in New York City 
a car of Old Mission brand of oranges, packed in Fullerton, 
Cal , containing 6i boxes of fancy, 238 boxes of choice and 85 
boxes of standards. In price that car broke all records for 
California oranges at auction. The gross sale was higher than 
ever before ; the average was higher than ever before, and the 
price paid for a single line of fruit was higher than ever before. 
Up to that sale the highest price ever obtained at a com¬ 
mercial auction sale, charity cars, of course, eliminated from 
the reckoning, was $2,226.50. The car on October 1, grossed 
$2,450.77, an increase of $224.27. A Broadway fruiterer paid 
the unprecedented price of $14 per 
box for some of these oranges. 
The receipts in New York of 
California citrus fruits from Sep¬ 
tember!, 1901, to August 3!, 1902 
says the California Fiuit Grower, 
were: Oranges, 2,281 cars; lemons, 
190 cars, making a total of 2,471 
cars. In the same period there 
were received from foreign coun¬ 
tries, oranges,117,500 boxes; lemons, 
1,970,000 boxes, a total of 2,087,500. 
These figures serve to emphasize 
the importance of that city as a fruit 
distributing and consuming center. 
The growers of California have re¬ 
ceived nearly as much money for 
the 1901-02 crop of 19,180 carloads 
as they received in the previous 
season for 24,900 carloads. 
CALIFORNIA COMMISSIONS. 
At the recent meeting of the Cali¬ 
fornia Fruit Growers association, 
W. Jeffrey presented a paper in 
which he reviewed the work of 
the horticultural commissioners in 
Southern California. He said : 
A phase of the work of our' commission is the organization of the 
nurserymen and florists of the country for the purpose of estabiishing 
clean nurseries and greenhouses in every district. The members of 
the commission are members of this organization and meet with asso¬ 
ciation at evenings to discuss methods of exterminating insect pests’ 
preventing re-infection and maintaining better conditions in every way. 
The result, together with the rules enforced in the transportation of 
trees has been very beneficial, bringing a majority of the nurseries into 
fine condition. One inspector’s report shows that he inspected 19,608 
trees and plants in November. Of these only 283 trees were found 
infected with insect pests, and I can assure the convention that the 
inspection was thoroughly done. 
JOHN C. CHASE, Derry, N. H. 
Prof. W. G. Johnson describes in American Agriculturist 
the European pear scale which had infested a pear seedling 
from France handed to him for inspection : 
The young stock was badly pitted and indented, giving it a verv 
irregular and deformed appearance. Careful examination shows that 
the seedling was infested with an insect, comparatively new in this 
country, popularly known as the European pear scale, and to scientists 
as Diaspis piricola. This insect has been known for many years in 
Europe and is quite common on pear in Germany, France and Portugal. 
In Italy it has been found upon apple and peach as well as pear. 
During the past few years it has been detected in this country upon 
imported stock. In California, where it had been established near San 
Jose, it w^as reported as spreading slightly, even though it was being 
vigorously fought. It has the habit of secluding itself under moss on 
trees in California, which makes it exceedingly difficult to control. In 
the collection at the United States department of agriculture, C. L. 
Marlatt says it is represented on pear 
from Germany and on apple from Italy. 
In a recent letter Dr. L. O. Howard, 
United States entomologist, says that 
during the past few years they have 
received the insect on four or five occa¬ 
sions and that it is becoming more com¬ 
mon and wide-spread all the time. 
From the general character and nature 
of the attack of this species, and the 
ease by which it can be distributed on 
seedling stock, in my opinion it is one 
that should receive the most careful 
attention by nurserymen. In general 
appearance it does not look unlike the 
San Jose scale, although it is much 
lighter in color, of a different shape and, 
in fact, belongs to an entirely different 
genus. Yet, to the inexperienced eye, this 
difference would not be detected, ex¬ 
cept by careful examination with a hand 
glass. 
Perhaps the pitting, and deformed, 
irregular appearance of seedlings infested 
with this pest will prove the best char¬ 
acteristic by which it can be identified 
at a glance by the average nurseryman. 
Seedling stock, upon which it is found, 
should not be used for propagation and 
where there is any suspicion of its being 
infested, stock should be thoroughly 
fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas in 
the usual way in the nursery. 
I would advise nurserymen and fruit growers to be on the look¬ 
out as I consider this pest one that needs careful attention, not only on 
the part of nurserymen, but by inspectors and entomologists at our 
various ex periment stations. I am informed that this seedling stock 
came from France, under an authorized and official certificate that it 
was free from scale. This is only another illustration of the unreliabil¬ 
ity of general inspection of large lots of stock. Fumigation is not only 
desirable, but absolutely necessary if we are to protect ourselves ” 
HORTICULTURE IN ST. LOUIS. 
One of the most popular of the several Chases who attend 
annually the conventions of the American Association of Nur¬ 
serymen is John C. Chase, of Derry, N. H , whose portrait is 
herewith presented. It is Mr. Chase’s business to help us keep 
our stock in order, 
Formal announcement is made of the appointment of Fred¬ 
eric W. Taylor as chief of the Department of Horticulture of 
the St. Louis fair in 1904. He has been acting chief. He will 
also be chief of the Department of Agriculture. The building 
devoted to horticulture will cover six acres and the one devoted 
to agriculture, twenty acres. Surrounding these two buildings 
are forty-one acres of ground, the entire area of which has been 
placed in the hands of the chief for planting and treatment. 
