Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03
THE DAILY REC0RD-UNI
THE RED SCALE.
The RAyAGEs OF SCALE INSECTS IN
eRAUGE ORCHARDS.
A Subject of Importance to the Fruit
Growers of California; Remedy
Suggested.

Durinp recent visit to Southern Call
foruia our attention was called to pest
found in some Of the orange orchards,
known as the Red Scale. 1t is not only
found on the branches and foliage OF the
tree. but also spreads over the fruit. We
have not had time to make such inquiry or
experiments as we would wish to, but 1t
has been our good fortune, since our re-
turn. to meet gentleman from Louisiana
who is thoroughly acquainted with the
culture of orange trees during the past nifty
wears. and also with the troubles growers
have to encounter-such as scale insects,
etc. etc. He attributes the cause OF such
pests. to great extent, to want OF care
and proper attention; growers taxing crop
after crop for succession OF years, ne
,Ieetino to make an effort to strengthen
and nourish the tree-only what can be OBJ
tanned from mother earth and the pruning
knife. We will repeat a comparison made
bv him "Take the human being, for IN
stance. Exact from him more than ordi-
nary labor, deprive him of proper food,
ETC., etc., and he will become filthy. SO
with the fruit" He states that a trench
dug around the tree aud filled with strong
manure. then covered with the earth taken
out. or giving the body of the tree good
washing with strong soft-soap I've or the
refuse known to soap makers as niger,
will have salutary effect. In ad
dition. wash the branches and foliage
with some alkali wash to complete the
work. If either of the above preparations
are properly applied all insect life will be
destroyed.
r. Williamson, Of the firm of w. r.
Strong & Co., sent us from a. neighboring,
county some specimens of apples, and also
pieces of branches of the tree they were
taken from, which were covered by scale
somewhat similar i'll appearance to the So
called red scale found on the orange trees
though not quite so large. We visited the
orchards where they were taken from, also
other orchards in the neighborhoOd, and
found this scale also on the pears trees and
fruit. In many cases limbs and branches
are completely covered, and in some cases
the parts of the trees affected are only
dead timber. This scale is also found on
the fruit of trees affected
We have tried some experiments on the
specimens now in our possession, both OF
the orange and apple trees, and we believe
that if the trees are thoroughly saturated
" 18th the wash used for the codling moth,
that it will not only destroy the scales on
the tree and foliage. but will protect the
tree from further attacks. The wash for
the trunk of the tree should be made and
put on as thick as possible. Directions
for preparing and applying this wash will
be found in the RECORD UNION OF Janu-
airy LIST.
MIR. Titus, of San Gabriel, Los Angeles
county, very kindly gave us description
of an apparatus he constructed for washing
trees He placed on the bed and running
gear of a wagon large wine cask-capac-
ity about one hundred gallons which
he attached an ordinary force pump. The
fluid wash is put in the cask and forced by
pump through hose with perforated nOz-
zle With this apparatus from seventy
five to one hundred large orange trees can
be thoroughly washed in a day. For apple
aud pear trees, when stripped OF foliage,
the ordinary garden pump will be sutfi-
Gent.
In flower garden in this city We found
rosebush that was nearly covered with
species of this scale insect. We applied
the sulphur and lime solution in July, but
it had little effect. eOn the 18th OF Sep
TENDER the stem and branches were COW
cred SO thick that they appeared as If
whitewashed. We applied the codllng
moth wash, and in a few days the scale
was destroyed We have called the atten-
lion of several persons, and had them ex-
anime the residue left on the stem and
branches Among those who examined
was l. N Hoag, Secretary State Agrlcul-
tural Society All agree that the destruc-
4iou of tha in sect was complete,
At Los Angeles Horticultural Fair 1879,
we met Albert S. White, of Riverside,
San Bernardino county, and requested him
to try some experiments by applying the
codlinr moth wash on the scale found on
orange trees. We forwarded to him a
package of the preparation, and have re-
ceived the following report:
RIVERSIDE, November 3, 1879.
Messrs Cooke & Son Gentlemen: | have given
the preparation sent me thorough trial and find
that it makes very short work Of the scale bug
Yours truly, ALBERT S. WHITE.
We are under obligations to c. H.
Dwinelle, of the State University, Berkeley,
for the following communication IN answer
to our inquiries concerning the scale IN
sect
UNIVERSITY on CALIF0RNI,,
BERKELEY, November 10, 1879.
Mr.. Matthew Cooke-Dear Sir; The specimens
which you sent me OF the scale insects from the
rose, and your inquiries in regard to similar
% found in our apple, pear and orange orchards,
have interested me very much
You have opened subject the Importance OF
which, to the frutSrowers of California, can hardly
be overestimated The scale has been known
in the counties about San Francisco Bay for many
years past as Of the worst parasites OF the rose
bush.
The scale insects or bark lcc belong to the order
of the HelRipterd, which includes the true .. bugs
The chinch bug, squash bug and their allies are
goo examples Of the order aud are notorious for
their evil doings. The phyioxcra is also worthy
representative The family OF the CoccidR IN
clades the scale insects proper Over thirty species
have been found in Great Britain, and 1t Is not like
" that California will have to yield anything in
point of numbers. A glass Of considerable power
is needed to study them TO adyan age.
The most common apple-scale insect is generally
known to naturalis,s the'oyster shell bar-louse
(Aspidiottis conchforosis) named from the form of
the scale Packard says that it does more harm to
the apple tree than any other insect known. Prof,
Riley also notes its occurrence on the pear plum
and currant believe that the first saw of it in
this State was about the spring of 1865, IN Oakland,
but it may have been old settler then. The first
cut here given Zig. ~ shows this scale OF natural
size as it appears The apple bark.