The record-union., 1897-11-13
CLEANING OUT THE SCALE.
Benefits of the State Board Of Hor'
ticulture's Work.

Secretary Lelong of the State Board
of Horticulture is in receipt of the fol-
lowing report from Alameda County,
showing the benefits received from the
work of the State Board in introducing
the insects that prey on the scale:
B. NJ. Lelong, Esq, Secretary State
Board of Horticulture. Sacramento,
Cal-Dear Sir: The good work expected
of the beneficial insects has been stead
lily going on, so that now there is hard
ly tree in the county that had been
formerly infested with injurious insects,
but what is now the home of a colony
of these beneficial insects, which the
Board of Horticultural Commissioners
succeeded in introducing in this coun-
ty. In the district that comes particu-
larly under my jurisdiction, the results
brought about by the Vedalias cardi-
nails and the Rhizobus ventralis in ex-
terminating the black and white scale
is wonderful. There is hardly a gar
den, orchard or nursery that / visit but
is found to contain these useful insects.
The clean and bright condition of the
fruit now offered in our markets at
test the value of the work of the bene-
fetal insects. The fruit now on the
stands in the markets is more free from
scale and fungus diseases than for any
time during the past decade, and as I
have stated, this is all owing to the in
PRODUCTION of the aforesaid ladybirds.
The EhiZobus ventralis has almost
exterminated the black scale upon the
lemon and orange trees in the county;
this Is equally true of the olives that
were fast falling a prey to the injurious
pests. 1t is now apparent that we have
checked and controlled the olive scale,
the red scale, and the San Jose scale
Rhizobus Toowoombae is now widely
colonized in all our orchards and gar
dens.
Many of our horticulturists have
wisely discontinued spraying their trees
with washes to destroy the noxious in
sects upon them. Too often in trying
to destroy the bad insects the benefi-
cial ones, striving to get a foot
hold, have been sacrificed by the pois-
onous spray.
The commissioners are, as they have
been in the past, very careful in regard
to the importation of trees and plants
from abroad into this county They re-
quire that all plants, trees, shrubs,
vines and roots brought into the county
be inspected on their arrival at a rail-
road station or steamboat landing and,
on inspection should they be found to
contain injurious insects. they are re-
quired to be disinfected or destroyed as
the case may require. By these precau-
tions it is hoped that the trees of this
county will, in time, be freed from nox-
ious pests, and new pests prevented
from entering our orchards
AS the season for tree planting has
again arrived, particular attention
should be paid to the importation of
trees and plants, especially from dis
trictS that are known to be infested
with pests injurious to the fruit grower.
AS an insect destructive to asparagus
plants has been doing much damage to
this valuable vegetable. I would suggest
to those interested in the cultivation of
this plant, that they buy or plant none
but homegrown plants. or SOW the seed
obtained from plants grown in this
county. This asparagus beetle is
spreading over a larger territory in the
Eastern States, and it behooves our
growers to be on their guard, or per-
haps in a short time our valuable beds
Of this vegetable will be worthless
The adults and larva of the aspara-
gus beetle feed upon the tender shoots
Of the vegetable, and later in the sea-
son destroy tie plants. Crioceris aspar-
agus and crioceris du 6uodeoimpun tata
Cthe twelve spotted asparagus beetle)
are the most destructive of this species
Of insects.
The further increase of tree pests of
the insect world should be guarded
against, as / have so often admonished
and other dangerous insects. such as
the asparagus beetle. just mentioned,
should be kept from entering our fields.
Respectfully. A. d. ROYAL.
Horticultural Commissioners of Alame-
da County.
Oakland, Nov. 9, 1897.