The morning call., 1892-11-21
KILLING THE PESTS
Annual Report of Secretary
RuSk.
CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN HELPED
But No Imported dlnsect-Destroyer Has
EquaIed the Work of the Vedo-
liza Cardinals.

EquaIed the Work of the Vedo-
liza Cardinals.
Special TO TIE MORNING CALL
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. 2o-The annual
report of Secretary of Agriculture Rusk.
made public to-day. touches upon several
subjects of particular interest TO California.
Concerning the division of entomology he
says that the agent of this division, who
was sent to Australia in cooperation with
the California State Board of Horticulture
for the purpose of collecting and sending to
California insects which might possibly
prove of benefit to the horticultural and
agricultural interests of the Pacific slope,
had remained abroad for about one year
and during that time had forwarded TO
California a very large number of living
pTedReeous insects. the most important Of
which are the enemies of the red scale, the
black scale and the woody root louise Of the
apple. These insects have been received
and colonized at Los Angeles and other
points in California by another agent of the
division.
The present outlook Is only moderately
promising, rs the newly imported insects do
not breed as rapidly as did The vedoliR
cardinals. which was imported three years
ago for the purpose of extermnating the
white or fluted scale, and it seems probable
that there will be no repetition of the
astonishingly beneficial result produced by
the vedola
The importation of these new insects has
caused division of opinion among Califor-
MIA hortieulturists, some urging the futility
Of further remedial work until the new I'M
portation shall be given a chance to multi
ply and destroy the destructive species,
and others urging that 1t would be suicidal
70 abandon spraying and fumigating until
1t has been proved, upon a small scale. that
the Australian insects win accomplish the
results hoped for. Wisdom dictates mid
die course, such ss the reservation of GER
tain orchards for uninterrupted experiment
with the Australian impcrtations, while
ordinary methods of insecticide continue to
be pushed for the protection of orchards
generally.
Three successful shipments of vedolla to
other countries, in which the fluted scale
has not yet succumbed, have been made
during the year. These shipments were to
Caps Colony. South Africa. Egypt and New
Zealand. In Egypt they have been found
TO breed rapidly and to prey upon the de-
structive scale insect congeneric with futed
scale OF California. In New Zealand such
good results have been accomplished as to
elicit resolutions of thanks and appreciation
at meeting of the fruit-growers of that
country held at Nelson in July.
Under the head of vegetable pathology,
The report says: The special agent as
signed for duty in California has continued
his investigations of the vine disease, which
has prevailed so destructively in the SOUTH
ern part of the State during the past few
years. A report on the subject is now ready
for distribution.
In addition to bis work on the vine dis
ease the ageut has had under investigation
a number II maladies affecting fruits,
among which may be mentioned the ''shot-
hole" fungus on the almond, souring of figs
and the blasting and bilghting of grape, fow-
ers and fruit. The ''shot-hoe' disease of
the almond has been successfully prevented
the past season at very little expense. This
is one of the most troublesome diseases of
the almond, and a cheap and effective
means of preventing il will be OF great ser
vice TO the frult-growers OF the Pacific
slope. The souring Of figs is another
troublesome disease which gives promise Of
being successfully prevented.
Concerning the division of ornithology
and mammoogy Secretary Rusk saws:
This division has been somewhat crippled
by the circumstance that its chief DR.. G.
Hart Merriam, who was appointed by the
President as one Of the two Bering Sea
Commissioners for the United States Ia
connection with Professor T. c. Menden-
hall. superintendent of the Coast Survey,
has been so fully occupied with the duties
Incumbent on that position that he was able
TO give but little time personally to his
work in this department until August, for
which reason the report Of the biological
survey Of Southern California and Nevada,
made last year and known as the death
Valley expedition" has been delayed sew
eral months. 1t is now, however, nearly
ready for the printer, and will probably be
published early in the year. Several ad-
ditional points Ia Central and Southern
California have been visited by the field
agent for the purpose of supplementing
and completing the work undertaken by
the expedition. Nearly all OF the enormous
collections brought together by this expedi-
tion have been worked up, in which labor
the assistance of several naturalists of
worldwide renown has been rendered with
cut expense to the department.