The herald., 1893-10-03
THE RED SCALE IS GOING FAST
A Most Satisfactory Condition
Found in City Orchards.
The Result of Trip Of Invcs.iga-
tion Yesterday.
A Number OF Orchards Visited and the
Dead Scale Found Everywhere.
Tho Cause of This Pleasant
Condition of Things.

| Tho Cause of This Pleasant
Condition of Things.
The red scale in the orchards around
Los Angeles and in the San Gabriel
valley 10 dying out.
A very puzzling condition of affairs
exists with reference to this destructive
pest.
AS gentleman said yesterday while
viewing orange trees where thousands
Of dead red scale we're to be eeen: "The
Lord appears to have taken a hand in
this now"
1t has been known for several weeks
that the red scale is being attacked by
some sort OF extexminator. Orchardists
have almost been afraid to breathe lest
the good work ehould stop, but little by
little they have conferred with each
other, until the magnitude of the ex-
termination became apparent.
1t no longer became necessary tn pre-
serve silence in regard to the matter,
and an investigating party yesterday
visited a number of iubilant orchardiste
in this city.
In company with Prof. Coquillett and
&. j. Griffith, representatives of the
press were driven to several places yes
terday and eaw some remarkable sigbts.
The FIRST point visited was the Ker-
cheval orchard, which ia so we'll known
as the habitat of the steel blue ladybird
or orcus chalybeus.
Mr.. Kercheval pointed out curious
condition of the red scale upon the or
anges and also the leaves. 1t was a
condition unlike anything he had no.
ticed before. 1t was not the work of
the orcus chaly ybeus, which, by the way,
appeared to be thriving.
On several oranges, picked indiscrim-
inately, the red scale was dead. When
placed under microscope it showed
that one corner of the scale Was lifted
cause of the death Of the pest was un-
known to Mr.. Kercheval.
The party was driven to the orchard
of E. III. Morgan, in the southeastern
part of the city. Here George Dalton
was also found. An examination of the
trees showed a terrible destruction of
red scale. Mr.. Morgan estimated it at
80 per cent. And il has all taken place
within month.
The leaves, but especially the oranges,
showed thousands of dead red scale. A
more thorough microscopic examination
was made here by Professor Coquillet.
In the first place, he found live
scale, and turning the glass over it the
healthy color of the scale was shown,
presenting a light, almost opaque ap-
pearance.
Then one OF the scales that had been
affected was put under the glass. 1t
presented very different appearance.
There was a brown spot, which seemed
to be where the attack was fret made.
One side OF the scale was lifted, and
there was light frosty rim around it.
The upper surface was easily brushed
away, and there was left light colored
speck where the rapacious foe of the
orange had once carried on his destluc-
tive work.
The scale Had in many instances
turned Black, and upon thousands of
leaves there we're the discolorations
where once the scale had been. The
sight was A. marvellous one, and all
those who beheld it could not but
express their establishment in the most
extravsgart, ,fsHhion.
1t was not UPON one tree or two that
the red scale was found done for, but
upon them all, and George Dalton said
that the same state of affairs existed at
his place some distance away.
At Mr.. Griffith's place, the Briswalter
tract, closer to the city, he said that a
thorough examination OF the 80 acres of
trees there, badly infested with scale,
revealed the fact that millions of them
were dead, from whatever cause it
might be.
The orchardists placed great stress
upon the fact that the scale WAS Just az
dead en- the oranges themselves as upon
the leaves of the trees.
Prof. Coquillett stated that he knew
OF his own knowledge that the same de-
struction of tho red scale ia going on in
the San Gabriel valley, and all the gem
tlemen stated that it was not only in
the orchards visited that the work was
going on, but in adjoining. places and,
in fact, throughout the city and San
Gabriel valley.
is IT FUNGoID?
Speculations as to the cause of the
welcome event were numerous, and
Prof. Coquillett was not certain what it
is that is destroying the red scale.
Prof. Coquillett who has been studying
the phenomena shown in the red scale re-
Gently with view to determine whether
or not it is caused by fungus growth.
has not arrived at determination. 1t
presents many of the appearances OF
euch growth, bat there are also dis
crepancies.
He has not been able to ascertain vet
whether such fungus growth as he has
observed has attacked the red scale be-
fore or after its death. Under the cir
cumstances he will not give a definite
opinion on the subject.
Those who have devoted much at
tention to scale pests and their foes have
no doubt seen that Prof. Koberle, when
in Australia, discovered that amongst
other enemies of the scale besides pre-
dsceons insects were what are known
as fungoids. They are cobwebby, vege.
table growths, and the professor ascer.
tanned that whole sections infested by
scale. both in Australia and the Fiji
Islands, had been cleaned out by the
fungoids. He obtained white and blacK
specimens and sent them to Prof. CO.
quillett. Some of this curious growth
was placed in the orchard of Niles Pease
of this city.
There are several varieties of the finn