The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-22
IssEcr r.srs IN sEArTIE


An Ecfor1c5oEfst Finds nearly All INC
Fruit Trees and Bushes Infected
SEATTLE. Jan. "a. 1853
To TaE Epsfos: have Of late inspected
Seattle from center 20 circumference
hare nos before me ioo twigs taken from
leo yards OF this city. commencing II
point close TO Grace n. T. church. near
Lake Washington. thence TO Jackson
street. branching or on Bush, suffer. lay
Ic- and Milford streets; returning to Jack
son street and following il TO Ninth;
thence on Ninth to james; thence on
James 20 Sixth. Fifth and Fourth, miss
ing no yard IN nay line of investigation
having any fruit, shade or ornamental
trees worthy of note.
On examination what do I fndf Here
on the apple tsig End fifty scales, known
to rue IS the .eottony cushion scale.
They seems TO have bat little choice as TO
the kisd of tree or shrub they infest.
have just found them in ineaicuiable num-
bers on apple. pear, plum and cherry trees
and currant bushes. also on thorn. elm,
poplar. willow and mountain ash trees.
The soft maple. however. Is entirely ex-
ernpt This scale may 90 easily mistaken
for the wooiiy maple bark louise, as
described in the FIRST biennial report
OF the Washington state board OF
horticulture, pages 81 and S. Here You
find their eggs in deposits Of from 100 TO
Loo. small. white and sphericaL The cot
tony cushion scale deposits from 300 to
500. rarely 200 The young scale (Larya)
il dark red in color. The parent spins
numerous ropes or balls of white cot
tony substance. the young scales taking
mp their temporary abode in this cottony
mass, seemingly in order to receive heat
and strength in the sunlight for short
time. after which, climbing Up their silken
web. they reach the limb, soon scattering
broadcast over the tree, inserting their
beaks into the tender twigs and leaves,
poisoning and sspping the life of the tree.
Three years ago / found the scales in but
two yards OF this city. Today find them
scattered broadcast. / am satisfied that
there are millions now where there were
thousands three and one-half years ago.
For . more concise description of this in
sect consult any OF our most eminent au-
thors, such as Prof c. V. Riley, w. s.
Entomologist Comstock and others.
Now, holding another twig under my
glass. what do / find2 A living. crawling
mass OF little insects of dark, russell
brown color. covered with q down of cot
tony appearance. If there is any one
curse greater than another in the way Of
fruit pests this is it. 1t is the woolly
aphis. This insect confines it work OF de-
struction TO the apple tree. have found
them in countless millions on the Wild
crab tree of the forest. They infest the
trunk, limbs aud branches. forming knots
eli over the tree from the size of q pea TO
that of goose egg. They are also subter-
ranean and work at the roots Of trees, leav-
ing them IN the Same condition as they
leave the tops; thus in q short time CON-
pletely running the tree. Three years ago
found them in few yards In this city.
Now / find them in many of our best
yards, there being little, if any. effort put
forth to get rid of them. l am satisfied
that we have in this city 1000 for one that
We had three years ago.
now come to the oyster sh ell scale. or
bark louise, which yon will find described
in any of the bulletins issued by the state
board of horticulture. / hold . twig in
my hand which is eight inches in length,
averaging half an inch in diameter. es-
innate this twig to contain ut least ECO
perfect scales. In turning one of these
scales bottom side up Ii seems q hollow.
empty shell OF dry, gluey appearances,
but on further examination ! find that
this shell contains about thirty pretty
white eggs. These are the eggs Of the
oyster shell scale. which is scattered over
our city. / Leave an estimate TO be made
of the increase OF 1894 over 1888 to some of
the readers OF this article, who may be bet
ter posted in figures than l am.
l now hold IN my hand an apple twig
IL inches in length. 1t has the appear
ance of being covered with a black, smutty
substance. l have placed this twig under
my glass. and the first thing that comes to
my notice is a green louise. Il is the
honey-dew aphis. It is midwinter, and
still this pretty little green louise lives,
moves and has its being on the fruit trees
of our beautiful city. On further exami-
nation of this twig / find that the black
case above described Is caused by thou
sands OF little oblong, black, shining eggs.
These are the eggs of the honey-dew aphis.
This Is the cause TO great extent of the
black cast that is given to our apple trees.
These insects are not only bringing, but
have brough. ruin, to our apple orchards.
now hold in my hand small twig of
prune tree, and to nv old, aim eyes it
presents a reddish cast. On placing the
twig under glass find the eggs Of the
red spider, and If there is one little red
egg there are 10000 on this little prune
twig. II this twig. four inches in length,
contains 0.o0o eggs. how many eggs are
there on the large-sized prune tree that
this twig was taken fromf Then consult
any of our prominent authors and find
what increase you may look for in the in
sect crop of 1884
have now quit writing and go to whit
Ting. | have selected fine, thrifty cur
rant limb of last years growth. The
limb is eighteen inches in length and
averages half an inch in diameter. have
split this limb through the center. On
doing SO / find there is no pith in il, and
on further investigation find that what
appears to have been the pith has taken
the form of manure. have split another
twig. / md the pith only gone in part
On a still further investigation find the
invader that Is completely running the
great majority of the eurrans shrubs OF
this city, and perhaps of the state. l have
three very fine specimens crawling over
my paper while am writing. say that
they are perfectly beautiful Ny wife has
just looked at them and she says that
they are perfectly disgusting. So this is
where We differ. This il a white. grub
Ike worm. . good half inch in length, no.
full grown. with q reddish or bronze
eolored head. This Is the imported currant
worm or borer. IL does not subsist on the
foliage and can well be called the imported,
from the fact that the young bush may
look clean hea.thy and thrifty while AT