472 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
THE SAN JOSE SCALE PARASITE 
By Professor H. A. SURFACE, Economic Zoologist, Dept, of Agr., Harrisburg, Penna. 
“Concerning the parasites for destroying the San Jose 
scale, I must say that this subject has not been overdrawn in 
the least by the papers, nor has it been fully emphasized. I 
bred these parasites by the thousands, and find several species 
of them. They are actually cleaning up the San Jos 4 scale 
over hundreds of miles in this State. They are not merely 
eheeking it, but definitely eleaning it up. I can give you the 
names of seores of men who are 
not spraying for the seale during 
the eoming dormant season, be¬ 
cause they have no live seale left 
in their orchards, although pre¬ 
viously their trees have been 
badly infested. In my own or- 
ehard I think there is not now a 
living speeimen of San Jose 
scale, as I have looked through 
the trees earefullyin vain, using a 
microseope in the search. I have 
some old apple trees that were 
purposely left unsprayed for ob¬ 
servation and study, and while 
they are producing fruit this 
year, there is not a seale mark 
on any of the fruit, and not a live 
scale on the trees. 
“We have sent this para¬ 
sitized material to persons in 
different Counties of Pennsyl¬ 
vania and to different States. We shall send other speci¬ 
mens by parcel post to persons sending ten eents in 
postage. 
“I shall be glad to send parasitized material where it will 
help do some good for mankind. I have nothing material to 
gain and nothing to lose in this proposition, and there is no 
reason why I should be attacked either by those who claim 
to have known the parasites for seores of years, yet who are 
doing nothing to disseminate them practically, nor by those 
who have known nothing of them, and are making great elaim 
for individual discoveries, which have been too superfieial to 
be notieed. The facts that I have proven are that there are 
several species of parasites absolutely destroying the San Jose 
seale in many of the Counties of the southeastern part of 
Pennsylvania, and that we are breeding them and dissemina¬ 
ting them in a practieal way as rapidly as possible. Persons 
whose orehards have been cleaned up by them recognize this 
as a fundamentally proper method for destroying the scale 
pest. 
“No one knows how rapidly the parasite will multiply 
when introduced into another region, nor how long it will be 
until it will be unneeessary to spray for the scale, but by 
examination with a hand lens one can easily see the perforated 
scales, and thus know that the parasites are suecessfully 
working. In sending parasitized material we also send 
printed directions for its introduction into the trees. These 
parasites work only on scale insects or the eggs of certain 
other inseets, and will not attack trees or their fruits. Thus, 
there is no danger attending the parasites or their practical 
dissemination. It must not be expected that all of the 
thousands of specimens whieh we are sending out will live and 
multiply, but some of them 
surely will, and this will be 
sufficient reward to justify the 
effort. 
“Sinee we have brought this 
subject before the public other 
seientifie persons have taken it 
up in a most fervid manner, and 
we hope by the co-operation of 
the different seientifie workers 
over the eountry to see the 
parasite as effeetive in cleaning 
up the scale in other States as we 
know they have been in those 
portions of this State where we 
have watched them and studied 
them during the past four years.” 
Professor Stu-faee in a letter 
to The National Nurseryman 
further states: “I can name 
several nurseries in this State 
(Pennsylania) where the para¬ 
sites have so absolutely eleaned up the scale that we cordd 
find no live seale present after most careful sear eh, and, eon- 
sequently, there is no need of an affidavit of fiunigation, nor 
of the trouble and expense of a fumigating house. 
POSTAGE CHANGES 
The proposed inelusion of third elass mail in the Pareel 
Post service should be energetieally protested as it will 
increase the executing flat rate on printed books, catalogues 
and similar printed matter, when mailed in pareels up to four 
ounces weight fully loo per cent. W. Atlee Burpee of 
Philadelphia, states that his postage on 400,000 will be 
increased from four to twelve cents. 
It is pointed out that with the existing low rate for such 
matter under the postal union laws Canadian and English 
printers eould print eatalogues for Ameriean firms and mail 
them to all parts of the United States at a lower rate than the 
American printers. 
Nurserjmien should file their objeetions with the Inter¬ 
state Commeree Commission, or Third Assistant Postmaster 
General Dockery, Washington, D. C., who have intimated 
that suggestions and objections will be given full considera¬ 
tion. 
SAN JOSE SCALE PARASITIZED 
