Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-13
FRUIT PESTS.
Papers Read at the Fruit
Growers Convention.
THE COTTONY CUSHION SCALE
History of Its Rise and Downfall
and the Causes-The
Red Scale.

The following paper was read b,
George Rice, quarantine officer of th'
State Board of Horticulture at the Fruit
Growers Convention:
But for the timely arrest and practica
determination of the cottony cushion
scale, the final results of it's devastation
would have been incalculable. The
story of it's destructiveness is too fresh
in the minds of all to be repeated at this
time.
The damage caused by it's ravages
amounted to millions of dollars, and the
wisest heads predicted that unless some
sure cure or preventative should De
secured, the time was not far distant
when our beautiful and fruitful orchards
would become barley fields, and the old
time business OF pasturing the lands
with sheep and cattle would soon return
Not only this Wholesale destruction of
our orchards, but the desolation of the
beautiful yards, gardens and parks for
which California is so famous, would fol-
low; but let us not contemplate what
might have been, but congratulate our
selves on the present happy condition of
our homes, surrounded with the orange,
lemon, vine, shrubs and roses, and in our
congratulations let us not forget the
gratitude we owe to those who, by their
persistent endeavors, by their trained
and scientific knowledge, made it pos
sible for us today to say: "This curse
has passed by and we are thankful"
1t may be of interest to many to hear
very brief history of the rise and down.
fall of this worst of pests, the cottony
cushion scale. Besides, it is we'll to
record some of it's history while it is
fresh in our minds, and if any mistakes
are made they can be corrected.
The cottony cushion scale (icerya
purchasi) undoubtedly originated in the
acacia forests of Australia, where it
seems to make it's home. The first au
thentic date that can find in it's history
is 1873, when it was noticed in Cape
Town, Africa. No date is to be found of
its advent in Australia, but that it is in
digenous to that country there is no
doubt; however, it is only in late years
that it has extended to their orange,
lemon and ornamental trees, shrubs,
vines and roses. That it has not re-
ceived the attention in Australia which
it has in this country is evident from
the fact that over there they did not
know what was killing the scale in some
sections, while in other sections and in
New Zealand the pest has full sway. The
papers of those infected sections (papers
received on last steamer) recommended
the use of several of our old was hes to
exterminate the scale. They will proba
bly, hear of the vedolia later on, and we
will take pleasure in sending them
q large consignment at almost any
time.
The cottony cushion scale was brought
to this country from Australia by the
late Mr.. George Gordon, of Menlo Park
near San Francisco, in 1868 or 1889, on
trees and shrubs imported by him from
Australia. Attention was first called to
it by Mr.. R. II. Strecher, of San Fran
cisco, in a paper, accompanied with
specimens, which were probably very
much admired, which he read before the
California Academy of Science.
In 1872 Prof. G. V. Riley, then State
Entomologist of Missouri, had his atten-
ton called to this scale.
It was not until 1877, thirteen years
ago, or five years after Prof. Riley had
his attention called to it, that the Ento
mological Department of the Depart
ment of Agricultural at Washington was
informed of this pest. Prof. Riley, in
the introduction of his report as Entomol-
ogist of the department, the following year
(1S7S) "refers to serious complaints that
came from the Pacific Coast of injury by
it (the cottony cushion scsle) to orchards
and ornamental trees" 1t WAS then in
its incipiency, but was found to be a
dangerous pest; yet if radical and heroic
treatment had been used at that time it
might have been stamped out. How.
ever, it is easy enough now to see what
might have been done; but it should be
lesson to us in the future.
The spread of the scale was hardly no
ticed at first, but it soon began to in
crease very rapidly and caused much
alarm. From Menlo Park it spread over
Central California, reaching San Mateo,
Sacramento, Santa Rosa, San Rafael and
many other places.
1t was introduced into Los Angeles by
Thomas A. Carey, and into Santa Bar
bara by w. W. Stow, on trees received
from Menlo Park, in 1878, about ten
years after it's first introduction into the
State. In the southern part of the State
the scale found congenial home in the
mild climate among the orange groves,
and thrived and multiplied and set out
on it's work of devastation, which soon
proved to be worse than if destructive
fire had swept over the country. 1t was
three years after it's introduction in the
Carey orchard, on Alameda street, Los
Angeles, before it put in an appearance in
the beautiful San Gabriel valley, where
it was taken on potted plant by Mrs.
McGregory. From the city and the
valley it soon spread over hundreds oi
acres of orchards and gardens in Los
Angeles county, and it seemed as il
citrus culture was doomed.
THE DOWNFALL.
An era of soaps, caustic, kerosene and
poisons, made up into a thousand and
one different cure-alls ensued; in fact
almost every orchardist bad so.called
remedy of his own, most all of which
really did more harm than good, but
"the good time coming, long on the way
was when her ladyship, the Australian
vedoka cardin ais, came to our rescue.
1t was Mr.. Alexander Craw. who, as
early rs 1880, first suggested that there
must be parasite where this terrible
scale came from in Australia, to keep ii
in check, else the groves of that country
would have been destroyed.
In 1881 we find recorded in the pro-
ceedings of the State Board of Horticul'
ture, q discussion by its members, on
the subject of securing and propagatine
parasites or beneficial insects. This
board, we find taking the cue laid dowr
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