The herald., 1893-07-21
MADAME CAAtYBEUS IS A DAISY.
She Evidently Has Come to Los
Angeles to Stay.
The Supervisors Will Accord Her
Full Protection.
The Announcements Made Exclusively in
Yesterdays "Herald Causes
Great Satisfaction to
Orchsrdists.

The announcement made exclusively
in the HERALD yesterday morning of the
rejuvenation of the Australian steel blue
ladybird, or orcus chalybeus, created
considerable of sensation yesterday
among orange growers, who had given
up even the possibility of that persistent
little enemy of the red and black scale
coming in on the home stretch.
The announcement that Mr.. Koeber-
les beetle had filed the trees Of the late
Mr.. Kercheval with vigorous colony OF
scale-eaters, caused several people to
pay visit to the orchard.
They were all surprised, agEeeably so,
with the spectacle of the thriving bugs,
and those who saw the condition OF the
trees last fall were at once struck with
the great improvement.
One of the first practical results OF the
suggestions made in yesterdays iseue,
that the colony in the orchard should be
protected, was the presentation of reso-
luton to the board OF supervisors.
The board will not be in session until
Monday, when it was learned, action will
be taken for the proper protection OF the
bugs.
The resolution calls attention to the
fact that the ladybird has shown such q
surprising vitality that it is worth q
most generous trial to allow it to do
all the service it can in the extermina-
tion of the destructive red scale.
1t refers to the fact that the Kerche-
val orchard, where the beetles are col
onized, is practically unprotected against
IL ,.,t1< ,s~h hox do.
sire, to see fair play, and calls for ade-
chaiybeus has fair field and no favor.
There 10 no disposition to exaggerate
the present condition of affairs with
reference to this matter. As matter
of fact it was stated that the lady bird
colony on the Kercheval place had en-
tirely died out, and it was regarded as
fact that Mr.. Koeberle's experiment
was thing of the past, and had proved
to be q total failure.
Also as matter of fact the trees upon
which the beetles we're placed last year
upon their arrival from Australia were
covered with red scale and were tough
looking trees at that.
Those trees still have red scale upon
them, and the fruit still shows some red
scale. But the condition of the trees
then and now is marked even to the
inexperienced eye of tyro in bug mat
ters.
They look much healthier, and upon
the new growth there is very little trace
of the red scale. In addition to that the
fruit is cleaner than q large percentage
of it was last year. some OF it being su-
perb and clean as any in the best or
chards. 5a'' N''ts
The principal thing to notice is that
the eteel-blue bug has survived the
criticism OF the Aorchardists who saw its
small performance last year. Instead OF
being extinct it is very much alive and
has multiplied until it has covered the
trees of the Kercheval orchard.
Naturally the extent of the services of
the ladybird is yet to be demonstrated,
In conversation with orange growers
yesterday they expressed the opinion
| that it should be carefully watched, 1t
has developed certain staying qualities
that entitle it to the American sense of
| fair play.
HORTICULTURAL OFFICER SCOTT.
Mr.. John Scott, the county horticul-
tural officer, called at the HERALD Office
Yesterday and discussed the HERALD's 8
article on the steel blue lady bug.
Mr.. Scott disclaimed any intention to
deny the Importance OF Professor Koe-
bele's discovery, and was ready to admit
that the bug in question might prove of
ipcalculable benefit to orchardists, but
he feared that people might depend too
much on the bug and cease their at
tempts to combat the red and black
scale by fumigation.
Mr.. Scott said that on the 25th OF
June he visited the Kercheval orchard
wheIe the bug was oolonized and that
there were then only very few alive,
but he corroborated the HERALD's article
by saying that they had since increased
to most wonderful extent.
He showed reporter lemon and a
lemon and tree branch from the Ker-
cheval place which still had on them
red scale, but as the bugs only COM
menced to increase last month, it le
clear that they have not had time in
which to eat up all of the pests, if they
had done 80 they would of necessity have
starved to death By this time, as nc
particular care seems to have been taken
of them.
Mr.. Scott agreed to prepare his views
on the subject fer the HERALD for pub
lication in tomorrow's issue.