The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-14
Professor Koebele's Trip to the
Other Islands.
THIRTY DIFFERENT KINDS OF SCALE.
Many on Oahu That Have Not Spread
Prof. Rochelle Has Agreed 20 Kill
Them All in Three Years - He
VIII Soon Leave for Australia.

Professor Albert Koebele, who has
undertaken the gigantic task of rid
ding the islands OF the blights that,
| without such action, would in few
years so iDjure the trees of the group
| that they would be practically worth
| less.
Professor Koebele says he will rid
the islands Of these pests in three
| years. He has just returned from a
trip to the other islands of the group,
where he has carefully inspected the
different parasites that are preying on
so many of our trees.
t'The PuLUtndrid Psidi is the most
prevalent blight in the group" said
the Professor yesterday. at attacks
everything. In North Kona, as far
as one can see, the black appearance
of this scale can be seen on the guava
forests. This black appearance is the
Fumdgo SiaLicino, and is always the
evidence of the scale. Although this
pest does not kill the trees or bushes
on which it is found, it saps their vi
tally, and prevents them from bear
ing. The coffee tree is one of its favor
ite dwelling places, and in a very short
time, if it il not eradicated, it would
seriously affect the coffee industry.
ga number of the scales thar are
here do not appear in California, and
rice UersG. This is also the case 10
cally. On Oahu there are a number
of the pests that have not made their
appearance on any of the other ISL
ands. This is due to the strong restric-
tinnS rAlana6 tho G hinn1nnf nf f,la Mt "a
to the other islands. This rule is
strictly enforced. The black and the
red scale of California are here and are
doing considerable harm. The latter
is hurtful only to citrus trees.
"The RhizOcOccns, scale that only
made it's appearance here two years
ago, is one of the most dangerous that
/ have seen. 1t has not reached the
other islands as yet, but ii attacks al
most anything on this island. 1t is
impossible to say just how many diff
ferent kinds of blight there are here,
but / should say about thirty, and
possibly more.
Professor Koebele leaves in the next
steamer for Australia, where he will
spend about six months in collecting
insects that are enemies to the local
pests. Then he will go to China,
Japan, and India, and will send more
6Cdlc utSIIOJcIo lOI Jul OCllcilO.
are already six species of lady bugs,
and two kinds of moths here which
have been set at liberty and are doing
effective duty.
The work of collecting the bugs is
an arduOus task. Thousands have to
be shipped by every steamer, all of
which must be collected within q
week of the day of sailing, as other
wise they would die before they could
reach here. Professor Koebele does
all the work himself, not trusting it
to anyone else.
The great majority of the scale of
the islands has been introduced here
from other countries. Most of them
came years ago, and in later times
only few species have been brought. !
There is only one kind of scale that
attacks the sugar cane. 1t is called
the mealy-bug, and does not kill the
cane, but greatly weakens it.
"The eucalyptus tree is not attacked
by any parasite i'm this country said
Professor Koebele, "but in Australia
there is a big caterpillar, eight on nine
inches long, that bores holes up and
down the trunk and completely ruins
the tree. The natives eat these cater
pillars with great avidity."
Professor Koebele was the discov-
erer of the VeddLid Cardinals, the
great enemy of the cottony cushion
scale that has played such havoc with
California orchards, and was here in
great quantities a few years ago. For
the discovery of this little bug, the
State Board of Horticulture of Cali
fOrnia presented the scientist with a
very valuable watch and chain, with
charm on which is an enlarged rep
resentation of the VeddLia Cdrdi-
nails, in enamel.