The record-union., 1892-03-04
AUSTRALIAN PARASITES.
Minute Insects That Eat Out the
Grasshopper's Throat.
Inspector Mclean of New South Wales
Arrives on His Way to Algeria
to Kill LocustS.
[san Francisco Examiner, March 3d.

[San Francisco Examiner, March Sd.
James Mclean, for twenty-six years
Inspector of Forests and Settlements for
the Government of Victoria, Australia,
and the Organizer and Lecturer of the
Victorian Farmers Protective Associa-
ton, an institution for the promotion OF
free trade among agriculturists, is at the
International Hotel.
Mr.. Mclean is bound for Washington,
d. c., to lay before Congress PROPOSE
ton to furnish an eradicator for certain
kinds of insect pests, including the
phylloxera. and thence will proceed, un-
der contract with the French Govern
ment, to Algeria to suppress the locusts.
1t is vegetable eradicator, but its exact
components are not made public. He
bears letters to Professor c.. Y. Riley, the
United States Entomologist, and other
WeII-knOWn scientists from scientific men
| in Australia.
Great progress is being made by A.
CoDpell, the representative of the Ameri-
can Government, so Inspector Mclean
says, IN collecting lady-bugs and other
1 insects 10 suppress California insect pests.
"CobpeIl Is also collecting various
shrubs, seeds and plants, and will for
ward them as rapidly as possible. lie
has been in New South Wales for some
time" continued Mr.. Mclean, land is
gathering valuable collections from New
zealand, Queensland and South Aus
tralia.
There is another work he is engaged
IN now, however, which, from an ento-
biological standpoint has great signiti-
canoe, and is destined to be of fully as
much Importance, and that is the secur-
ing OF curious little parasite to suppress
/ the grasshopper.
. lie has already got a number of them
and Will get many more. He secured
what he has got on the Mildura River
at the colony founded by the Chat1ee
| brothers OF California This strange
! parasite attacks the throat of the grass
! hopper, and is so small that twenty OF
more OF them Will be found in the throat
! of single grasShOpper 1t can only be
! seen by the aid Of a powerful microscope
IN New South Wales the grasshopper
has been very destructive and this para
! site puts an end 10 them.
mir. Cobpell is convinced, so he saws.
that grasshoppers will at an early day
again devastate vast stretches of vine
| yard, frult and grain land in America
and he wishes 10 be prepared for them.
lie has made a thorough study of the
grasshopper, has noted the intervals OF
years when it increases and repeat it's de-
Vastauons In different parts Of this coun-
try. Some OF the parasites will probably
be forwarded now very soon.n
inspector Mclean, who has paid much
! attention to forestry and fruit culture.
says he is convinced that our forests here
are being destroyed unnecessarily, ana
that this will result in more insect pests.
He saws it is always a result When the
country becomes cleared, and therefore
more free to their inroads.
He says also that he is convinced that
grapevines such as he has seen in the
vineyards of Napa County in the last few
days are planted too closely together.
They are, l OBSERVE" said he, ''but
three and half to five feet apart. In
France, where few years ago | saw
them planted six to seven feet apart they
now plant them never closer than ten to
twelve feet"