The herald., 1894-10-25
THE BLACK SCALE IS DOOMED,
Favorable Reports on the I'M
ported Parasite.
Santa Barbara Nearly Free From
the Destructive Pest.
Signs That the War OF determination
VIII Proceed This Srason I'm Other
Coast and Southern Coun-
ties OF tho State.

| HSan Francisco Examiner: The litsle
black lady bird introduced into this stael
from Australia about two years ago il
proving itsslf as relentless an enemy oi
the terrible black scale as was the veda.
liza cardinals which has effectually de-
stroyed the cotton cushion pest through.
out California.
So complete has been the work OF the
newcomer in Santa Barbara county,
where it was first oolonized. that there
is danger of its perishing from lack OF
aiiment. Quarantine Officer Craw has
been summoned in haste to the southern
county by Elwood Cooper to devise some
means of saving his pets, who are worth
far more than their weight in gold to tho
horticultural. Fortunately during @
visit to the south, from which
he has just returned, Mr.. Craw
learned that the beetle had turned
it's attention to the walnut and
orange apbides, noxlous insects which
propagate them selves rapidly, and will
furnish nourishmens to tho avowed
enemy of the black scale. Where the
proper parasite ia once established it ia
not desirable that the pest on which it
feeds should be thoroughly eradicated.
The ideal condition of affairs is that IL
should be reduced to the minimum
quantity commemorate with the sus.
tenance of its enemy. Should this re-
suit not be accomplished there would
again be danger of the reintroduction OF
the pest after the disappearance OF its
parasite, and the fruit grower would
once more be reduced to the costly and
Intellectual process of spraying.
SPREAD or THE BLACK SCALE.
Speaking yesterday OF the crusade
against the black scale. which Is itself
an insect, Quarantine Officer Orsw said;
1.-THE black scale has taken firm hold
in all of the coast counties. and threat
ems to destroy largo number OF or.
chardH. Spraying and fumigation have
cost many tens of thousands of dollars
annually and have only been palliatives,
not remedies. Orange, lemon, lime,
olive, apricot, and peach trees as we'll as
ornamental plants are affeC ed. The
black scale has been here for 80 years.
and ia believed to have been imported
from Europe, though / think its home ia
Australia. 1t has been spreading instead
OF being checked by the means here to-
fore adopted to combat it. Portions Of
the state not affected three years ago
are now seriously go. 1t WAS
thought that the dry climate
of the interior would be fatal
to its spread, but this is mistake. Aus
tralia is drier and warmer than Califor-
MIA, and that they were not to be ex-
empt from the plague the people OF San
Bernardino county and the fruit growers
in the vicinity OF Riverside have learned
to their cost. Los Angeles, San Diego,
Santa Bar bara, Orange and in general
the coast counties as we'll as the decidu-
GUS trees around Niles have fallen vic-
Tins to the pest. 1t weakens the trees,
reduces their bearing qualities and rem
ders the fruit inferior in appearance and
quality and often unstable.
''Fortunatsly the black ladybird was
found by A Albert Koebele, who was sent
to Australia fer that purpose by the state
board of horticulture. The first Of them
arrived here in August, 1892. The paira
were placed by Elwood Cooper in his
| olive orchard at Santa Barbara. There
they multiplied prodigiously, and in less
than year were reported as q probable
succesa. From there last fall sent out
colonies, and this year have distributed
500, 900 oyer all OF the infested district.
1t takes at least year to determine if
they will show up we'll. They are gen
orally all liberated in one tree of an
orchard and spread therefrom to others
within a mile or go.
PROGRESS OF TIE PARASITE.
"The beneficial results OF this experi-
ment are demonstrated py my observa-
tions on my recent trip south, and also
by correspondence received by Secre.
tary Lelong of the state board OF horti.
culture. Santa Barbara may be said to
be almost free from the iuhiction. All
of ElIwood Cooper's orchards are now
free except one, which was only colon.
lied last autumn. Good progress has
also been made in the Hollister, Hem
mingway and Halls orchards, and by
next year the black scale will practically
be cleared out of the country. Trees
which, two years ago. were filthy with
the eecretions of the scale and covered
with millions of these terrible pests,
which in fact seemed irrelnediably
ruined, are now clean. bright and vigor-
GUS.
"The reports from Los Angeles are not
90 satisfactory. The beetles probably
spread, but we expect to find them show
up in good force during the coming sea-
son. Colonies of the black lady bird
were sent last year also TO San Bernar-
dino and Riversioe. In few localities
they are now found in the larvae state,
but not as numerouely as We would lik 9
to see them. There. es elsewhere, the
general fumigation OF the trees has
proved drawback. The beetles keep
away from such orchards, and the prac-
tice must be abandoned if the parasite
is to do its work. In San Diego and Or
ange the beetles are taking hold. By
January the young laoy birds will be ct
work on the scale in Alameda county,
and as to Santa Glars l may say they
have done good work in several DR.
charda near san Jose and one at Noun t.
| ain View in cleaning out the scale ON
apricot and plum trees."
IMMENSE SAVING TO oRcHARDIsTs.
1t is difficult to place pecuniary es-
innate on the value of the enemy of the
black scale. In one respect however,
the saving in spraying aud fumigating
will probably repreaent 81 900. 700 q
year to the horticnlturists OF California.
Elwood Cooper alone has OF late years
bsen compelled to eypend from $4,000 to
| 5000 per annum for this purpose, while
there are four or five fruit growers in
Los Angeles county alone who pay out
an average of $4,000 each annually in
battling against the black scale. All
this will be saved. fol the little beetle
costs nothing. Then, in addition TO the
economy. the trees will be more health.
ful and consequently will bear more