The herald., 1894-01-01
Interesting Paper on the Sub
ject by /. Fl. Thomas.
The Ever-Present Battle Of the Fruit
Growers.
Iome Valuable Remedies for Various
Pests-Important Suggestions by
Rancher of Wide Ex-
'perience.

lows:
An essay on the insect pests Of the
central San Joaquin valley must neces-
sarily be short. from the fact that this
region is fortunately exempt from the
numerous evils OF scale insects and other
diseases that find suitable conditions in
the more humid coast counties OF the
state for their increase aud development.
Dur warm dry summers are more certain
In checking the increase OF the "black
Icale" than all the formulas and care
lully compounded tree washes and
patent nostrums, or even the nimble
rhizobius. Still the conditions can be
produced by man, on small ecRle, that
nake it possible to find few struggling
enemies even in this rich and favored
land. The only place l have found the
black scale to thrive here is on orange
trees or oleander bushes on lawn or
grass plot, where the ground is damp
and cool from frequent sprinklings.
The "soit orange scale'' can also be
found on the orange, lemon, rose
bushes snd a few ornamental plants,
but not in numbers to do or cause any
harm.
Both OF these scales can be easily sub
dued, and the remedy can be found in
every house. This Is simply one.fourth
OF pound of Laundry soap, dissolved by
boiling in one gallon of water, and ap-
Piled with O syringe or spray pump at a
temperature OF 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The most effective time is soon after the
young have Matched, and this is during
the summer, but the work can be de-
ferred until September. A cheaper
remedy, if large number OF trees are to
be treated, would DO the resin wash
but this requires considerable care in its
preparation. The proportions are Resin,
i8 pounds; caustic soda 40 per cent?. 5
pounds; whale->y fiBh oil, 21s pounds !;
water to maaern } gallons OF solution.
To properly prepare this 50.gallon
farmers boiler is necessary. Place the
resin, fish oil and caustic soda, together
with 20 gallons OF water, in the boiler,
and cook thoroughly over brisk fire
for at least three hours; add little hot
water occasionally until you have about
30 gallons. Never use cold water to di-
lutte with before you have this amount
or the resin will settle to the bottom.
Pour the hot mixture into the spray tank
and then add cold water to make the 100
gallons.
A remedy that is already prepared is a
great saving of time and annoyance to
the fruit grower. The one that we have
experimental with and had good results
from is Browns Insect Exterminator.
Full directions for using this and the
necessary amounts for the different scale
or insect pests are sent out with the ex-
terminator.
Another pest that is found, but to q
very limited extent in the valley, Ia the
cottony cushion scale, that did so much
damage to the orange and 9emon orch
ards OF Los Angeles county few years
ago. This ia soft insect with a white
corrugated cottony egg sack. 1t attacks
greater variety OF plants and trees than
the other scale insects. and breeds rap
idly, each female producing from 800 to
1000 eggs. Such an Increase, and the
fact thst the native plants and weeds
were good pasture for this pest, made it
expensive warfare to try TO keep it down.
The introduction of the Australian lady
bug, vedalia cardinals, was grand
achievement, for in one year from their
Introduction they had increased and
were distributed to all parts OF the state
where the cottony cushion scale was
found, and the latter has now no terrors
for the orchsrdist.
Ii you find This scale Major G. J. Ber-
ry will place colony of the vedalia on
your trees, or you can address q letter
to the state board of horticulture in San
Francisco and a colony will be mailed
to you. In the latter case it would be
Advisable for you to send specimens of
the scale, 30 that there will be no mis-
take, for this ladybird will not feed on
any other scale.
The pernicious or San Jose scale got
O start in the valley few years ago
introduced on nursery stock-and spread
to other trees and orchards, causing q
great amount of damage and loss to the
deciduous fruit growers. 1t was here
that the famous Lime, sulphur and salt
remedy" originated, and was extensive
ly used as winter wash against this
scale. This remedy is acknowledged to
be one OF the best winter washes, as it
is also good fungicide. Within the
past three years nature has come to our
relief and this scale is now kept in
check by a very small "brown necked
ladybird" and the twice-stabbed LADY,
bird 30 that it is in very rare instances
that spraying is done for the San Jose
scale.
LILO luboCtn hoFC given uH UDb
most trouble are the ''red'' and "yel-
low mites." or spiders. They are 80
small that they can just be seen by the
naked eye. The winter eggs are depos.
tied ON the trunks and branches, and
hatch as soon as the trees leaf out in
the spring. They increase rapidly in our
dry atmosphere, and are general feeders,
and are serious pests upon the almond,
prune, walnut, apple, etc., and OCCASION
ally iniuring orange and lemon trees.
They spin very delicate web ON and
attack the leaf by tearing the epi-
dermis. A tree thus attacked soon has
blanched or sickly appearance; the
inner leaves drop and the tree become8
stunted.
The different summer washes will kill
the epider, but the cheapest and most
eMective remedy ia sulphur, applied
with sulphur bellows; or more expe-
ditions way is that in use in the Rio
Bonito orchards in Butte county. There
they have fixed up,a broadcast seeder,
mounted on wagon, and the feed and
discharge are 30 arranged that the
sulphuris thrown in cloud in one d.
rection, and three to six rows are
thoroughly busted in the time neces-
sary to drive between the rows. The
best time for this work ia the verv
early morning, and, if possible, when
little moisture is on the leaves. The
sulphur is not really an insecticide, but
acts as repellant. 1t is sometimes