The herald., 1893-07-25
MADAME ORCUS CHALYBEUS,
She Is the Subject of SUPERVISE
rial Protection.
Mr.. Scott Says That He Took Some of
the Bugs Away.
He Wanted to Study Them at His Own
Orchard-sIr. Compere Makes
Statement About the
Matter.

The Australian ladybird occupied thu
attention of the board of supervisor
yesterday in quite breezy manner.
The subject came up through Mr.. G,
j. Griffith, who presented to the board
q letter he had received from Secretary
Lehong OF the state board of horticul'
ture.
The letter was published in the
HERALD of yesterday morning and was
an offer on the part of the state board
to send come one to Los Angeles to assist
in protecting the steel-blue beetle from
enemies, if necessary.
Mr.. Scott, county horticultural COM
missioner, was alec present, as was Geo.
j. Dalton, and little interchange oil
compliments took place.
The matter of some one having taken
q large number of the beetles away
from the Kercheval orchard the day be-
fore the HERALD called attention to the
superb development Of the ladybird, as
exclusively published in the HERALD OF
yesterday, then came up for investiga'
tien.
Mr.. Scott announced that he and Mr..
Compere had taken the bugs. In ex-
PLANTATION OF his action he said that he
wanted to put them some place where
he could visit them better than in the
Kercheval orchard, and pay more
attention to them, and where they
would be on trees better supplied with
red and black scale than the Kercheval
place. Also place where there would
be no danger of them being fumigated
or sprayed. Mr.. Scott disclsimed hav-
ing taken away large number of he
orcus chalybeus, and said he only took
enough to carry out his plans Of giving
the ladybirds the best chance to show
what they can do.
Mr.. Dalton and Mr.. Griffith related
their experiences in noting the marvel
Gus growth of the supposed defunct
bugs, and Mr.. Dalton eaid that he had
not known that any such development
was going on, until few days before the
publication In the HERALD.
Mr.. Scott was very positive that he
had the future success of the ladybird
very much at heart, and would do all in
his power to see that it had a fair show.
Mr.. Griffith and Mr.. Dalton both inn
pressed upon the board the great inn
portance of carefully encouraging the
bugs to go thoroughly and more rapidly
upon their crusade againts the red and
black pests of the orchardists.
At the conclusion of the short talk
upon the subject the following letter was
drafted and the clerk was directed to
send it to Secretary Lelong as the Off
cial action of the board:
oUTsPoKEN IN FAVOR OF THE BUG.
B. NJ. Lelong, Esq, 22O Sutter street, San Fran
cisco, CAL:
DEAR SIR: Your letter to Mr.. G. j.
Griffith of this city, in relation to ap-
pointing guardian over the predaceous
and parasitical insects (chiefy orcus
has been submitted to this
board for consideration. Let US cay in
reply that the matter has slready been
attended to. On Thursday the Goth of
July, on the personal request of Horti-
cultural Commissioner John Scott, MIR.
John Aevni was put in charge with
strict instructions to allow no one to
enter KerchevaPs orchard upon any pre-
tense without q written permit from Mr..
Scott.
The fact that these lady birds were in
creasing has been known to the ma
tional department of agriculture (divi-
sion of entomology, Prof. d. w. Coquil-
lett resident agent) and the county hor-
ticultural commissioner for some time.
outside sources, the fact gain
ing publicity has, of course, made it
to put man in charge for
their protection, and also put the county
to this additional expense, which other
wise might have been avoided. And we
desire to further state that this board
will take every precaution deemed
necessary for their protection. We have
faith that IN q fen gears they aciU accom-
pltsh Whdt every orchardist desires, the
eradication of the red and black scales.
Yours respectfully, ]. W. Cook,
Chairman.
MR.. CoMPERE's STATEMENT.
Mr.. George Compere was the subject
of the HERALD's article of Monday
in which it was etated that he
had gone with another man to the Ker-
cheval orchard on Wednesday of last
week and taken away number OF the
orcus chalybeus.
The above description of the action of
the supervisors explains Mr.. Compere's
action as being at the instance of Coun-
ty horticultural Officer John Scott, but
Mr.. Compere was seen by HERALD re-
porter yesterday and made the following
statement:
"On Monday morning of last week 1
told Mr.. Scott that the steel-blue bugs
had greatly increased, which was the
first he knew of the matter.
'"On Wednesday, at his request, I ac-
Mr.. Scott to the Kercheval
oychard and ua Uathavad a numhar of
the bugs-a number which he puts at
l5O. He told me he wanted to
Terrible Misfortune.
MANY EuEFERING FROM Ii TQQAY-The CRY of