Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-16
" YEDALIA CsRDINALIS. !"
THE AUSTRALIAN LADYBUG AS THE
0RCHARDIsTs' FRIEND.
Rise and Downfall of the Cottony Cushion
scale-The Pest Can be
Exterminated.

There has been issued from the State
Printing Office pamphlet by Geo. Rice
Quarantine Officer of the State Board oil
Horticulture, entitled Historical Sketch oi
the Rise and Downfall of the Co.tony
Cushion Scale" which recites at length the
story of the ravages made by this pest in
the orchards and gardens of this and other
States, and Of the various methods pursued
to exterminate it. The pamphlet concludes
with chapter showing how the Australian
ladybug (Uedalia cardinalis) came to be in
troduced in this State, and of its successful
crusade against the pest referred to.
The value of the ladybug as an extermi-
nator of the cottony cushion scale has been
fully demonstrated in this city. A year
ago there were few gardens that were moi
infested with it, some trees and shrubs be-
ing literally covered, and looking as if they
had been in snowstorm. The ladybugs
were turned loose on the trees in Capitol
Park and other places, and the result has
been an apparent determination of the
scale. AT all events, trees that were white
with them year ago have now scarcely q
scale upon them.
Referring to the matter of the discovery of
the ladybug's enmity to the scale, and its
introduction into California, Mr. Rice saws /:
We bad heard that there was parasite
in Australia that had almost entirely exter-
minated the cottony cushion scale, and it
was to get these parasites that Mr. Koebele
was sent to Australia. The parasite was
known as the Lestophones, minute fy that
punctured the scale, laid its egg, which
Matched out into grnb that made its meal
OF the scale, changed into fly, to again re-
peat its work.
"Mr. Albert Koebele left San Francisco
Tor Australia August 20, 1888, and arrived
at his destination in due season. He i'm
medlately sent supply Of the Lest0phones
to this country, which were duly taken
care OF on their arrival. In the meantime
Mr.. koebele went TO work to thoroughly in
yeshgate the scales, their parasites, and
their workings, and was not long in dis
covering, what our Australian friends had
not done, that the boss" scale DESTROYER
was an entirely different kind of parasite
1t was the lady bird, the Teddlia CARDINALS,
he found TO be the principal enemy of the
cottony cushion scale, and he was not long
in dropping Mr.. Fly and making the ac-
quaintance of her ladyship, Miss VedaIia
Cardinals. He captured and shipped sew
eral colonies of beetles and their larvae
The first importation reached here Novem-
Der 80, another December 90 1888, and
still another January "a, 1885, These colo
nies were sent TO the Wolfskill orchard. in
Los Angeles, and Dobbins and Chapman's s
orchards, at San Gabriel, under the care of
Professor ID. w. Coquillett, of the Entomo-
logical Staff, Department of Agriculture.
They soon multiplied and increased some.
thing after The form of geometrical pro-
gression. Mr.. Wolfskill and his foreman,
MIR. Alexander Craw, who knew all the
time that there must be such an enemy
in Australia" together with Professor Co.
queilett, distributed thousands to the anx-
ious orchardists, who, hearing of their won
derful work, Hooked in to get them. The
same work was going on at the ranch of
Colonel ]. r. Dobbins, at San Gabriel,
where the Colonel and his help gave their
entire time TO making up and distributing
colonies TO who came for them, and they
came rom far and near
while the good work of the Tedalia
was going on in Southern California, the
little ladybug was distributed by the State
Board of Horticulture throughout Central
and \ orthern California, wherever an or
chard, garden or shrub was known to be
infected with cottony cushion scale.
by December l, 1882 the work of exter-
practically accomplished. The money
value of this Teddlia to the orange growers
of this State has been incalculable. The
saving of the orchards already infested, the
protecting of the others that were sure to
be blighted by this terrible curse, to say
nothing of perpetuating an industry that it
seems will be the king of all our horticult-
ural pursuits Is simply grand, and cannot
be estimated in the usual dollar and cent
test
IN this connection we think it proper
and just that some fitting memorial should
be presented to Mr.. Albert Koebele, who
came near sacrificing his life in his search
for this ladybug, and its introduction into
this country.
Nothing could be more appropriate than
the raising of say not less than $500 with
which 10 buy neat cottage in Alameda,
the home of Mr.. Koebele, and present it to
him and his amisble wife, as small testi-
mony of our gratitude. | am sure that the
subject needs only to be mentioned to meet
with hearty Endorsement.
AT the Fruit Growers Convention, as
sembled in Los Angeles, resolution was
passed, requesting ell persons who desired
to contribute any sum towards purchasing
suitable memorial to be presented to Mr.
koebele, to forward the same to the Secre-
tsry State Board of Horticulture, 220 Sutter
street. San Francisco