The herald., 1895-06-19
The PredaCeOus Insect Valuable
to Fruit Growers
AND BAD FOR RED SCALE
The HeraId's Course Has Again Been
INDICATED
The Demand That the Industrious Insect Be
Given a Fair Show Has Been Fully
Justified by the Results

not that this paper needs anything other
than fact for justification of what it
may say, but this time it was the mute
but industrious little insect, the orcus
chaly beus which comes forward in myr-
lads and furnishes proof abundant that
the Herald was right.
On Thursday morning of last week Mr.. L.
N. Kercheval announced through the col
umns of the Herald that he was prepared
to supply an unlim tied number of colo
mics of the orcus, parasite for the red
scale pest, free to all who applied. This
announcement taken together with the
fact that the Herald had been an active
and consistent agent in demanding for
the industrious insect fail show to
demonstrate its worth, for three years,
and that persistent warfare by opposing
interests favorable to migation and
spraying had been constantly made TO
crush 1t out during that time. prompt
ed this paper TO detail reporter to make
full investigation and report the con-
ditIon of the scale and Its parasite.
Mr.. Korcheval was found at his resi-
dence on his ranch on Lemon street,
near Ninth situated east of Alameda
street, and when the reporters mission
was made known took pleasure in show
ing and explaining what was to be seen
anu hIOWH OI bUo SuD!cCts nc OiNuo
chalybeus were some OF the valuable ac-
QUESTIONS of Professor koebele, sent to
California when'on one OF his trips to
Australia in search of predaceous insects,
and placed in this orchard by direction
of the state board of horticulture.
Mr.. Kercheval is pleased to a degree
that is infectious to a visitor at the succe1s
the parasite has met with in his orchard.
A few years ago it was one of the foulest
orchards to be found, and nothing appa-
rently could stay the Iavages of the scale;
i seemed to thrive best on the lotions
and chemical combinations intended for
its eradication. Now the conditions are
taken positive action and refused to per-
nit the orcus chalybeus to be interfeIed
with. and the result justifes his judg
ment. His trees are literally covered
with the valuable parasite; the larvae
are everywhere, on everything where the
scale had found lodgment, on the trees,
on the leaves, on the fruit, on the
ground. on the weeds, Oh the wood pile,
on the fence, even. Some oranges were
shown which had at least eight OF the
larvae on, hunting for scale food.
The orchard still looks badly scale in
tested, but an examination showed that
at least 95 per cent of it was only dry
SHE'LL the orcus having eaten the inside
and moved on. These larvae will Rso on
commence to eat each other, for such is
their nature. unless supplied with fresh
food or removed to other infested orch
ards. This Mr.. kercheyal is essaying to
accomplish as rapidly as possible. and
in prcpagating, but does its intended
work thoroughly, as witness his orchard.
people should not after placing colonies
in an orchard, spray or fumigate them TO
death or permit it to he done, but be
patient let them multiply and they will
IL xl.@ hon hCnl tfnltr
OF estimating the number OF these beetles
in this orchard.
Mr.. Kercheval referred to Professor
Koebele's report where that gentleman
stated that on very hot DAYS the beetle
would come down to the bodies of tn
trees for shade, returning to their work
when it became cooler. This was proven
to be true during the recent hot days,
when he had noticed that thousands
came down, as 1t was stated they would
do. returning in the evening. Thus was
the exact knowledge of Professor Koe-
belle corroborated,
Mr.. Kercheval had announced through
the Herald that he would attend to the
distribution of the parasites himself and
that they could not be obtained either
through the state board of horticulture
or the Los Angeles county comm issioner,
and on being questioned in regard to the
refusal frankly stated his reasons. He
udu previously talkcu very ITCely uDOut
the old discussion and certain unklndly
acts on the part of the enemy OF the par
asite and the circumstances under which
the orcus were first placed in his orchard
by the state board and keeper employed
for time to look out for them.
He particularly objected to the county
horticultural mmissioner having any
thing whatever to do with them, because
OF his we'll known eniiiity to the orcus,
and his persistent demand for mitigation
and spraying in face of the fact that the
scale were increasing with astounding
rapidly. Besides. he was among the
party who visited the ranch year or
two ago to Investigate" these beetles.
and they sat down under one of the very
trees now loaded with them and wrote a
series of resolutions cOndemning them
Internationally. and then procured the
same TO be telegraphed over the state,
and joined in the violent denunciation of
Professor koebele, through whose inteli-
gent work came the salvation of frui
growing in California, by finding preda-
ceous insects, and now that the browning
work was complete, and these inyalua BILE
beetles had become numerous enough to
speak for them selves by the million, the
county horticultural commissioner and
those he represented could not come in
and get the credit for any portion OF the
success.
He had recently written to Mr.. X er-
cheval advising that the beetles ought to
be distrib uted by some one qualified to
do So but as Mr. X ercheval had cared for
them for a long time and they appeared
to thrive under his ministrations, and
they were withal robust and somewhat
vigorous lot, he thought he was fully
capable OF concluding the business. Ker.
cheval further observed that the county
had paid out thousands of dollars annu-
ally for a commissioner. tents, sprays
and washes. and multitude of inspec-
tors and the scale pests increase steadily;
it is very apparent they cannot be
stamped out that WaY. What has been