The sun., 1896-07-13
THE STATE ESzoxoIoe1sr.
EIin Work Tn Saving Trees and vines nrou
Destruction by Inseets

HE Work In Saving Trees and Wines rrou
Destruction by Insects.
II is not infreouently the case that farmers
and those who. living in town or city possess
fruit trees in their yards find there is some
| thing the matter with them, and although they
discover the seat of trouble by the peculiar
| growth. they cannot toll whether II Ia destruc-
tive insect, or worse stl, disease. for the lat
ter is harder to counteract Though they may
behold growth progressing steadily, animal
| life attacking vegetation Ia often so low down
| in the scale that movement cannot be depended
| upon to provo that the trouble proceeds from
an animal. Vice versa some diseases progress
| so rapidly In their ravages that there is more
| movement than is present with an attack by
| insidious insects This Is the period of the year
when these most perpleXing questions must be
solved by the fruit grower, or. like tuberculosis
among herd. 1t will spread 30 extensively that
| It ia preferable 10 exterminnte valued tree or
COW upon the outset. Whether II is insect in
feotion or disease determines the procedure;
| hence the Importance OF an early decision.
For the people of this State DR.. ]. Albert
| Lintner, the State Entomologist, ia tho judge,
and his department in the Capitol building at
| Albany is the court. To him the cases are pre-
| sented daily and the witnesses are detained
| under glass covers some rebelling and showing
| their runwilinRness TO be held by boring through
sents n strange scene, for while there are books
| and papers about to prove the occupant an in
dustrious writer. the twigs, leaves, and sprouts
| resting on the penrack. obtrudng from draw
| ers filling the table In the window, and stacked
loosely In the corner, lead ono to suppose there
| has been n deal OF farming to produce all that
| The State EntomoloEist is q busy man. for there
| are always n dozen letters from as many
| anxious fruit growers who want speedy verdicts
th1S 4,
! to promote the State collection OF insects. pre-
pare reports. as we'll as edit an occasional thesis.
His room is not large. and OF late even his
cramped quarters have had to be shared with
the State Botanist for his rooms the second
floor OF the State House on Eagle street have
been turned over to State Engineer Adams who
had to have increased room because OF the nine
million-dollar appropriation for the canal. It's
northern light Is excellent for microscopic work
and drawing. and hence DR.. Lintner glories in
the necessity of taking room far up in one Of
the tiled peaks Of the Capitol. two hundred feet
more above the housetops and away from
casual callers.
When he receives portion of O tree or shrub,
usually a few green sprouts, for disease and par
ticulary insects attack the most tender and
delicate portions, he first examines It casually
sect, for with his experiences no can decipher at
9nse 9,S Nv What the fsfmer % or "Scyntsy gentleman.
to
Is called to bring h, 81 NOV Led %
What DR.. Lintner breads Is tho receipt of a
OF which %Sy dsflSss on o
scale This is the insect referred to above as
being so sluggish that no one who has not been
instructed would suppose that II or the apple
tree bark louise is other than part Of the trees
hari @ rSttied or % wrinkled In "a n. REGULAR manner
and resembling those tho title iack m marks on an
hing move it is not to be wondered
disease or enorustation. This ia the time
when these enemies are commencing to enjoy
ceivcd any number OF them that had been found
enjoying their repest Of currant and arrle One
M SAN anS D was at
once perturbed: for the previous year or two he
had waged determined fight to eIterminate
purchased contaminated stock. telling them to
destroy all trees that were affected. and carrying
tire tirey Of the pest. The sender stated @ e' he was vas
positive Of its being the scale. and was ready to
scale at any, rate. bnt what Il is has not yet
be either a product OF another section OF the
country or else a newcomer in scientific
circumstances or in hreedn A determination
will he made speedily. for a matter OF dread Is
the State EntomoloGst is busy with all the vari-
e,lss which come ,1 pnder the general and com,
being continually given on the subject is p-e-
venting an intermnable spread OF the trouble.
most mo common NJ" Of Re the scale insects % and those @
who have not seen them need only examine tho
OF who s@ the 9e ar I
at them more minntsl after reading ding
creas ing the diameter OF the infested twis. The
length Of the female Is one-twelfth OF an inch.
pointed at one end The male can be told 'i by its
straighter shape and Is generally shorter The
itself to the mdr!b. Under this curved scale
so to 90 and sometimes as many as 900 young
II is this scale, which remains fastened TO one
place, that we see. but the young travel over
! days. They. take their food through beak
appears formidable indeed. They have no
biting jaws and hence are termed suctorn
winged insects. but assume the form Of scales
"a they grow older. becoming degraded beneath
their shslternE scale into barely more than egg
are essential to their life during the production
Of thei1 young On the other hand, the male un.
winged with n single pnir Of simple structure.
" Sad for the male, but happy 10 relate, says
DR.. Lintner. the males live two days only at
food for in his stage it ow7S s no mouth or di-
Wisely enough, man has found use for some
Of the species OF the ,Coecidr family. to which
currants. belongs. From the COec,s cdch the
| valuable dye termed cochineal Is made. and the
Cdrtertd laccd excretes the material known in
trade as shelac. Another species yields the
commercial article known MS china wax. and the
kind found In Arabia produces solidifed
honey dew called "manna," which Is thought
to have been the heaven-sent mama that af-
forded the Hebrews nourlshment In their wan
derings DIR. Lintner cannot Rscrbe any use
10 the appletree louise, found in this State all
too common, nor does he know OF any attempt
having been made to utilize the insect. In fact,
he Rd vises no one TO allow them to collect, and
believes that for all time TO come shall
grow apple trees for apples, and not find any
plausible reason to grow apple trees as food
for the bugs"
To those who ask Dr. Lintner for the best
plan OF destroying these insects so peculiarly
lazy in movement. but active In doing harm, he
replies that the winter is the time TO despatch
the evil. Now this Is II period of the year when
the damage Is all over and a farmer usually dis
regards his duty when he Is not witnessing any
havoc being wrought. Consequently n remedy
must he described that can be applied while tho
excitement is uppermost During the summer
| the pores are open more than In winter, conse-
Quently wash cannot be made OF SO great