The herald., 1894-09-21
THAT RHzOB|US VENTRALIS.
What 1t is Doing for Pomona
0rchardists.
The New Bug Gives the Lie to Its
Praducers.
They Make Short Work of tho Obnox-
ious Black scaiebug, and
Prove Themselves
Effective.

credit on the rhzobius ventralis, or black
ladybug, and it's achievement on this
coaet, that most orchardists have been
driven to the conclusion that the new
scale destroyer is fraud and the state
board OF horticulture is of similar char
acter. Whatever the facts maybe re-
garding the bosrd-and it should be
capable of taking care of itself-there
are several Pomona borticulturists who
have been satisfied by personal investi-
CATION that the black ladybug is much
maligned insect and that it mas accom-.
plished in this country all that has been
claimed for il.
Among those who attended the meet
ing of the Southern California Farmers
institute at Santa Barbara last week
were J. E. Packard, j l.. Rowland. AL
fred Wright and j. S. Calkins Of Po-
mona, and Prof. A. j. Cook of Glare
mont. They visited four of five of the
orchards in the vicinity OF Santa Bar
bara in which the adybugs have been
working. Mr.. Howlsnd says that two
years ago he went through Elwood
Cooper's big olive orchard. just before
the first lRdybugs brought to this
country were placed In it. and it was
then the blacklist and worst scale.in-
tested orchard he had ever seen. Now
it is almost absolutely free from scale
and the trees look bright and healthy
again. The scale have been de-
voured and destroyed by the blsck lady
bugs, which have left it and gone to
other orchards. No other remedies
were applied to the orchard. Prof.
Cook, the most expert entomologist in
this part of the state and one Of the
best in the country, says that MIR.
Cooper's orchard has been throaghly
cleaned OF scale. Two or three other
orchards, in which colonies of the bugs
had been placed, were visited and ex-
amined thoroughly, with similar re>
suite. Where the orchards had been
cleaned OF scale, neither scale nor bugs
were found; and whore black scale
abounded, the black ladybugs were
found in profusion. Prof. Cook says
that in approaching one large olive or
chard, when quarter OF mile away,
noticed that one end of the orchard was
of light color, and the other end dark.
He inquired the reason. An investiga-
tion showed that the black lady bug had
started in at one end OF the orchard and
were cleaning the trees OF scale as they
went through. They left the trees light
colored and comparatively clean, while
the balance we're dark and dirty.
One or two orchards we're visited in
which no colonies of the bugs had been
placed, but they were focnd at work
there and were cleaning the orchards.
10 reach some ofthese orchards the bugs
had fiown.a quarter of mile or more
from other orchards where colonies of
them had been placed. In an orange
orchard, in which the same favorable
results were being accomplished as in
olive orchards, more Of the rhizobius
debilis, very small lady bug, were
found, than of the rhizobius ventralis.
This is supposed to be due to thu fact
that the orchard contained an abund-
ance of brown and other kinds of scale
az we'll as the black, and the rhizobius
ventralis eats only the block scale.
The above mentioned Pomona men,
who are authorities on horticultural
questions in this valley, are thoroughly
convinced OF the efficiency OF the black
lady bug as destroyer of black scale in
Santa Barbara county. Unless there
are climatic conditions in this county
which would be unfavorRble to its prop
agation and work here, which Is not
probable, they are confident it would
accomplish the same wonderful results
in this section that it has around Santa
Barbara: and, if judioiously distributed
and allowed to propagate, would prac-
tically clean this county OF black scale
in two years. Mr.. Packard has such
faith in the new lady bug that he brought
home SO, eral colonies of the insects for
l.. H. .ka~ 4 4
all orders for spraying material not al
ready shipped, and $500 worth Of mate
rial now en- route he has ordered for
q soap m anufRcturer there.
Professor Cook and others are making
careful examinations of the orchards
here in which email colonies of the
rhizobiue were placed year ago. Thus
far the results OF the Investigations have
not been favorable. 1t will soon be de-
teImined from the large colonies of the
rhizobius that have been liberated in
several orchards here this week, whether
the insects will thrive here or not.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Pomona Times: The rhizobius ven
trails or black ladybug has bean credited
and discredited az destroyer OF black
scale. The utate board OF horticulture,
at the expense of the state, imported
the bug from Australia and placed 1t in
Elwood Oooper's olive orchard OF Santa
Barbara. Mr.. Cooper and Others have
persisted that the bug was eating up the
black scale. Many of our Pomona or
chardists sent for colonies of the black
scale. They received them and placed
them in their trees per instructions. 1t
was understood that the rhizobius ven-
trails was sent here. Most OF the m
never accomplished anything, and none
OF them did encouraging work. 1t
seemed strange if this bug was doing
such thorough work at and near Santa
Barbara. that it did nothing in Pomona.
Last week Prof. Cook of Pomona col
lege, j. +. Packard, Alfred Wright, Col.
j. J.. Rowland, and John s. Calkins at
tended the Farmers institute at Santa
Barbara. They took occasion while
there to examine into the bug business
and found that the ventTalis, debilis and
perhaps one or two others of the same
family, had accomplished wonders in
eating up the black scale in both olive
and orange orchards; in fact, had
cleaned up and put in healthy condi-
ton many acres of orchards that had
been nearly destroyed by the black
lady bug. There are some strange features
about the bug business that need not be
alluded to now. The fact that these
black lady bugs will clean the trees of
black scale ia the important one.
The question OF whether or not tn
onlooiau horat tofora ,,1aood !,