174 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
asking for special consideration at the hands of the legislature, even 
were the legislation desired not inimical to other important interests o^ 
the state. 
The experience of the Massachusetts State Commission in attempt¬ 
ing to eradicate the gipsy moth by legislative enactment, emphasizes 
also the correct position of the entomologists, in that all the legislation 
in the world will not eradicate the San Jose scale or similar pests when 
once established and disseminated, as the San Jose scale is in this 
country to-day. 
What can follow, and undoubtedly will follow, without the aid of 
special class legislation, is the application to this problem of the great 
principle of self-reliance and self-preservation, by individuals whose 
interests are effected, and with whom the only effectual remedy for all 
those insect evils will hereafter as heretofore remain. 
Very respectfully, 
(Signed) Fred’k W. Kelsey. 
THE SAN JOSE SCALE SCARE. 
Under this caption American Agriculturist, of March 2 d, 
says editorially: 
This pest is responsible for the biggest furore ever caused among 
American fruitgrowers in general and New York state horticulturists 
in particular. And rightly so, for it threatens orchards and nurseries, 
whose products in this state alone represent an annual value of mil¬ 
lions of dollars. Even comparatively small townships in Central and 
Western New York ship thousands of carloads of fruit products yearly, 
while young stock is shipped from York state nurseries by the train¬ 
load. 
The interests of fruit growers and of commercial nurserymen are 
alike in this matter. They should unitedly fight the common enemy} 
Division of forces, in this crisis, is worse than useless. 
“ More scared than hurt,” perhaps best expresses the horticultural 
situation in the Middle, Southern and New England States just at this 
time. Yet if the scare forces all to co-operate in combating the scale, 
much dreaded injury may still be prevented. For the matter is quite 
as important in all the region cited as in the Empire state. Indeed, 
Prof. Britton says the danger of this pest in Connecticut is greater 
from within than from without the state. 
We believe that, with a few important exceptions, nursery stock 
should be fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas. This treatment kills 
all living insects, not San Jose scale alone. It is cheap and simple, 
and with proper judgment nursery stock so treated is not injured. 
Just how to do all this was described in American Agriculturist Feb. 
16. Many nurserymen in various parts of the country have success 
fully fumigated for several seasons. Hundreds more will do so this 
spring. It is probably quite as needful in other states as in New York. 
Further directions will appear later as to what stock to fumigate, what 
not to treat, etc. It is “no great chore” to fumigate nursery stock, 
and by being able to guarantee one’s trees free from scale the nursery¬ 
man so far increases his sales and profits that lots of them are doing 
this for their own advantage without waiting for legislation. The 
sooner this practice becomes general, the greater will be nurserymen’s 
profits. And the very few who now criticise American Agriculturist’s 
position will then be warmest in praise of our policy. 
Yet to compel nurserymen to fumigate, and let the fruit growers 
alone, will not fully cover the case. The scale is now so well estab¬ 
lished that legislation which fails to reach the fruit grower will be 
insufficient to check the further spread of this pest. This is “as true 
as preaching.” And progressive fruit growers realize the fact and are 
already combating the scale, by the methods described on Page 318 in 
this issue. These people, like the progressive nurserymen, are looking 
out for No. 1 without waiting for the legislature to act. But while we 
believe that such self-help is the best help, those fruit growers or nur¬ 
serymen who jeopardize the welfare of others as well as their own 
interests by neglecting the pest, require some law to induce them to be 
more mindful of the general good. 
The apple blossom has been adopted by Arkansas as the state floral 
emblem. 
AS WE HAVE SAID. 
The Rural New Yorker says : “ Dozens of fruit twigs are 
sent us for examination from all over the country. People 
are reading about the San Jose scale, and they begin to ex¬ 
amine their trees, perhaps for the first time. Out of all the 
specimens sent but one has proved to be the true pernicious 
scale. The others are mostly the common oyster-shell bark- 
louse. All this shows how the constant hammering on the 
scale question has waked up the people and taught them to 
use their eyes.” 
And it also shows that when the “scale scare” is on, fruit 
growers as well as entomologists should keep cool and ascer¬ 
tain whether the reported cases of San Jose scale are not 
“mostly the common oyster-shell bark-louse.” 
RESULTS OF LEGISLATION. 
The Florists Exchange in its issue of March 23 d obtained 
some expressions regarding the results of legislation on the 
subject of San Jose scale among which were the following : 
Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville, O.—“We think that the scale 
legislation of the various states has been decidedly beneficial in making 
both nurserymen and planters more careful both as regards this and 
other insects ; still it has not been an unmixed benefit either to the 
fruit grower or nurseryman, as the great fuss that has been made over 
it has frightened foreign nations so that both fruit and nursery stock 
in some cases have been barred out. People are finding out that it is 
simply another pest added that must be taken into account by both 
nurserymen and fruit growers. We would favor a national law bear¬ 
ing on scales and other insects—one that would be uniform in inter¬ 
state commerce ; but would oppose any law that required trees, etc., 
to be examined at port of entry, as it would not amount to anything 
as far as keeping out insect pests is concerned ; it would ruin more or 
less of the stock, and would be an unbearable nuisance.” 
W. & T. Smith Co., Geneva, N. Y.—“Legislation with respect to 
the San Jose scale was necessary, and our present law in New York 
State providing for the inspection of nurseries is a helpful one. It is 
absolutely necessary that nurserymen should keep on the lookout and 
be sure that their nurseries are free from the pest. “ Eternal vigilance 
is the price of liberty.” Too much has, however, been published re¬ 
garding the San Jose scale, and the public is becoming frightened un¬ 
necessarily. Our state laws now in force are sufficient, together with 
the co-operation of the nurserymen, to protect the planters from any 
extensive spread of the pest. A national law would very much sim¬ 
plify, for nurserymen, the conditions now prevailing, by making regu¬ 
lations identical in all the states, and would constitute an added safe¬ 
guard, as some states now have no laws, and others only imperfect 
ones, with respect to insect pests.” 
Jackson & Perkins Co., Geneva, N. Y.—“Without doubt the 
legislation now enforced with respect to the San Jose scale has been 
very beneficial, for without the very careful and conscientious inspec¬ 
tions which have been made by the state officials the scale undoubtedly 
would have spread to a far greater extent. A national law, with ample 
provisions for more thorough inspection, would without a doubt be far 
more beneficial and desirable than so many and so varied state laws. 
It seems to us that national legislation upon this subject is becoming 
exceedingly necessary, for nearly every state has different legislation 
upon the subject, and it requires no little care and study to keep one¬ 
self posted sufficiently to fulfill the various requirements in all in¬ 
stances.” 
The co-partnership heretofore existing between Frederick J. Rea and 
Charles H. Rea, in Norwood, Mass., as nurserymen, under the firm 
name of Rea Brothers, has been dissolved by mutual consent. Frede¬ 
rick J. Rea will be sole owner and proprietor of “ The Norwood Nur¬ 
series,” so-called. 
