The herald., 1893-08-20
Prof. Koebele's Good Work
for Orchardists.
The Red and Black Scale Are
Both Doomed.
An Interview With the Professor and
Quarantine officer Craw.
Tho Orcus Chalybeus Doing Good
Work Tho Rhizobius ventralis
At work on Mr.. Ellwood
Ooopsr's Ranch.

Professor Koebele and Quarantine
Officer Alexander Craw returned yester-
day from visit to Mr.. Ellwood Cooper's
ranch near Santa Barbara, they having
gone there Wednesday Of last week to
investigate the condition Of the Austral-
ian predaceous insects brought to TINS
country by Professor Koebele over year
ago to prey upon the scale pests OF Cal-
ifovnis.
The visit Of the gentlemen was not Or
iginally designed to be together. FRO.
fessor Koebele went at the request OF
the department of agriculture ct Wesn-
ington, of which he is an ofhcer, wniie
while Mr.. CFaw came down from the
state board of horticulture. But meet
ing at Mr.. Cooper's the lnvestlgation
was made in company.
The result of the examination will be
of arest importance to horticulturists
thronehout California, and the HERALD
il enabled to make public the views Of
the gentlemen upon what they saw.
A reporter last evening saw both Pro-
fessor Koebele and Mr.. Craw. Owing to
his position in being obliged to report to
the department at Washington, Pro-
lessor Koebele would not give his views
directly for publication at this time but
said that he fully agreed with whatever
Mr.. Craw might say.
Mr.. Craw, in beginning to talk bugs,
could not help referring to the fact that
Professor Koebele's modesty had kept
him from appearing much IN the news
papers, but he could not forbear from
paving him very high tribute for the
quiet and thorough manner in which he
had performed his valuable work OF Sc
curing valuable enemies OF the scale
pests. :,
In the first place Mr.. Craw Was aAked
about the orcus chaly beus, or steel blue
ladybird, which has lately been causing
40 much discussion. He stated that he
had visited the Kerchevai orchard, as
Professor Koebele had also, and had
found gratifying increase in the num-
bers OF the ladybird.
He was convinced from what he saw
that 1t was only question OF time until
there are enough OF the beetles to sue
cessfully prey ON the red scale. It has
cleaned up the Kercheval orchard won
derfully. It is not q rapid breeder. as it
has but two generations year, but
Prof. Koebele stated that such was the
case when be brought IL from Australia.
Mr.. Craw said there was no doubt about
its feeding ON the red scale, and that in
many places where the red scale ap-
bears not to have been touched. it has
Seen eaten ont beneath by the ladybird,
and only a hollow dead shell has been
left.
They found no trace of the steel blue
hdybird at Mr.. Cooper's place. He has
no red scale there, and there would be
nothing for the chaly beus to feed upon.
But the most astonishing discovery
made by Mr.. Craw and Professor
KoeDele at Mr.. Cooper's was with refer
ence to three other lady birds, the foes Of
the black scale, but which are also
claimed to be foes of all kinds of scale.
1.-The first of these beetles is called,n
said Mr.. Craw, "rhizobius ventralis, or
black ladybird. 1t has propagated
marvelously and is cleaning Mr.. Coop.
er's orchards of black scale in magnifi-
cent fashion. 1t is the most important
discovery since the vedalia cardinals,
and is just as important and valuable as
the vedaliA was. 1t is a little woolly,
black beetle, smaller than the chaly beus
and is o lively little ladybird. 1t swarmB
in Mr.. Cooper's orchards by the
thousands, and the increase has been
only within the past few months.
''The fret orchard we visited was an
olive orchard, one where this ladybird
had been placed on 40 trees in the
center. The remainder of the orchard
was sprayed last year. The ladybirds
on the 40 trees cleaned them from black
scale, but did not spread to the sprayed
trees. The trees were completely black
last year with the scale. The trees that
were sprayed laet year are now quite
dirty. think probably the. spraying
kept the beetles from spreading.
"The next olive orchard we visited ad-
Joined the central one. The ladybirds
had been placed on it, but they had
spread to the trees and had practically
cleaned all the trees in the orchards. l
was delighted and Professor Koebele, /
know, was surprised and pleased.
"The third orchard visited wss also an
olive orchard, where the black ladybird
had been placed, and the trees were
practically clean.
''These ladybirds were placed in Mr..
Cooper's place in May, 1892. and have
done 90 wonderfully that do not hesi-
tate to say that as soon as they are dis
tributed they will almost do away with
the black scale, although, of course,
none OF the beetles are exterminators.
"The most we hope to do is to keep the
scales from becoming pests.
''The black scale has spread along all
the coast counties, and while it is not as
destructive "a the red scale 1t is bad
enough and the dirtiest of the scales.
"Prof. Koebele believes that the bee
ties will also feed on the red,' San Jose
and other scales in time, as they do in
Australia.
''But there are two other varieties OF
lady birds in Mr.. Cooper's place. which
have also developed wonderfully.
"These are the orcus Australana which
is brother Of the chRlybenor. 1t is
larger than the latter and has six beau
tiful orange red spots. This preys on
the black and San Jose scale and it is
believed will feed on any of the scales.
"fhe other ladybird is the rhizobius
debilis, which feeds on the black scale
and which Prof. Koebele thinks will also
eat the red scale.
These two ladybirds are doing good
work in Mr., Cooper's ranch, but not to
the extent Of the black ladybird, which
is par excellence the worker of the trio
so far"
Mr.: Craw was questioned about what
Mr.. Cooper proposes in the way OF dis
tributing the lady birds and said that
thousands can be taken away without
making any perceptible decrease in the