The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-12-31
The Cottony Cushion Scale in Los An
gdIes County.

60AS~ NDAAVJs
The law OF the survival of the fittest is
hard one on individuals, but it is equi-
table in the lhain, and works out the
greatest good to the greatest number.
| Just now this law is being invoked in
orange growing industry more actively
than ever before, and its Judges, iuries
and constabulary are the Cottony Cush-
ion scale. The judgements passed and
executed are against the orchards of the
careless men. tits said that this scale
| first obtained it's foothold in Southern
California in the nursery grounds of Mr..
r. A. Carey in the southern suburbs of
Los Angeles CITY. AS soon as he dis
covered its presence Mr.. Carey began to
combat it, but it happened that he,
shortly afterwards, surrendered the prop
erty to other parties, and, under the
hands of an absent owner and uncon-
cerned men who carried on the place,
the pest ran riot. 1t spread to nursery
adjoining, and thence to contiguous or
chards in every direction. By some un-
explained freak it jumped seven or eight
miles into a couple of illy-tended or
chards in San Gabriel, and there obtain
ed strong hold before the general alarm
was raised. The San Gabriel people,
being too thorough going and having too
much interest at stake to tamely allow
themselves to be run over by the pest,
proceeded at once toorganize themselves
into an association, levying an assess
ment upon each member in proportion
to the trees owned, whether the trees
were affected or not. An active cam
paign was openedf MIR. Lelong, an ex-
! pert in such matters, was employed and
| equipped with the most approved appar-
atus for carrying on the warfare. He
was turned into the infested orchards
with carte blanche tocut, burn, spray and
scour as he saw fit. He did thorough
work. 1t was about a year ago that he
began operations, and in the time since
/ elapsed he has examined as reported by
s,,Set tsss St. this number 4
trees We're infested, mostly in the two
orchards named. Some time ago the
work had to be suspended for lack of
| funds, bat not until all the trees known
to be affected had been cleared. Lately
the scale has made it's appearance in
some trees adjacent to the place of their
first appearance. Against these and all
others that may afterward gain foot
hold, another campaign is shortly to be
opened with renewed vigor. This time
it is hoped the last vestige of the pest
will be wiped out. SO much for the
Cottony Cushion in San Gabriel valley
Too much praise cal1ot be awarded to
the San Gabriel pemh for their public
spirited action.
In the suburbs 0 4os Angeles city,
however, where the sdale first started no
such concerted and lEorous action was
taken. Excepting I'd fact that the old
Carey place was somewhat cleared up,
and the nursery adjdning it, which had
become hopelessly .ffected, was rooted
up and burned; no lScided steps were
taken. The scale vat on multiplying
and spreading until present climax. |
Lately one of the Angeles papers
reported that, in SOL portions of San |
Pedro street, everytk kg--vines, shrubs,
flowers, even the w4s by the roadside !,
were covered by It'd best. If not speed
lily eradicated it vii work destruction
to every form of plaF Flife attacked
Now note the result \ large number
of the old orange tredkin and about Los
Angeles will be desbyed. But, to an
extent, these trees NE been but half
| cared tor, being in thhands of ignorant
and shiftless men. they produced a
large quantity of inferr fruit which had
the effect of demoraking the market,
and, when shipped broad, destroying
the reputation of the slthern California
oranges. The materl production of this
class OF product can fte no other effect
than to be a benefit the industry at
large. Thus do we rfh the conclusion
first stated in this arte concerning the
law of the survival of e tittest. While
I l.
hard on individuals tis good for the
whole.
But, however benetnt the working t
OF this law may be WIN certain limits, s
it will not do to give loo wide a iuris-
diction; for, while thlottony Cushion, i
like Ere, might be food servant, it t
would be bad mast& If the people of s
this injected district Re not the public l
spirit and foresight tfganize and COM c
bat the evil as those Fan Gabriel have t
done, then the mattdhould be taken
la hand by some strolr power. In this r
connection it is a SAT- Etion tonote that t
the late election has Icted q reorgan- n
ization of the Los Al Ies Board of SUI
pervisors. Among thIepubliean, mem v
bers OF this Board, til are no less than il
three or four practic4nd enterprisino "
horticulturists, who, en installed, will Il
take hold OF this ma qas the law pro- fl
vides. No action wi yer could be OBJ t,
tanned from the ole bard. 4 IL for no :,
other reason th an tlNtha, Ranuhl;oor | :,