The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-03-16

Dub d C1GQ0 OF WQ45 mlgQG Dc known,
had proper attention been paid to the
injurious insects of Japan, the Pacific
Islands, Mexico, Central and South
America, and the West Indies. Every
collection of scale insects from those
regions contains new species, and the
briefest Investigations yield abundant
new and unsuspected facts.
In these days of easy and rapid tran
sit, cold storage and wardian cases,
plants are carried all over the world,
and no insects are more easily carried
upon them than the scale insects. Thus
it happens that while under natural
conditions scale insects have usually
rather restricted distribution, many
species of them are becoming or have
become world wide, and it looks as if
the end would only be reached when
every country possessed all those kinds
which were able to exist in its climate.
The following instances will illustrate
the above statement:
o. DiGspis G1gygdGli Or IG1aGtaGs, the
destructive peach scale, was described
from Australia in 1889. To day we
know it from it from Australia, Cey-
Ion, Hong Kong, Japan, several locali'
ties in the United States, Jamaica, San
Domingo, Grand CaymaD, Barbados,
Martinique, Trinidad and Cape Colony.
% AWlGcGspiS TOsg, the common
rose scale, was described from Europe,
but is now found also in the United
States, Australia, New Z'aland, the
Sandwich Islands, China and Jamaica
80 ChionGspis citri, a very destruc-
tive scale on citrus plants, was de
scribed from Louisiana and Cuba in
1888; now it is known also from Trini
dad, Antigua, Demerara, Bermuda,
Mexico, Tonga, New Zealand and Aus
tralia.
a HOUdrdiG bicIaUiS, trouble
some scale of citrus and other plants,
was described in 1883 from specimens
on hothouse plants in Washington
City; now it is known out of doors
from Trinidad, Mexico, Tahiti, Sand
wich IsIaL as and Ceyion.
% Lecdn6Gtna OIeg. the well known
black scale of California, is found, out
of the United States, in Jamaica, An
tigua, Trinidad, Europe, New z ,aland,
Australia, Sandwich Islands and
Mexico.
These may suffice as examples, which
could be multiplied many times if de-
sired.
The behaYior of a species in a new
country is frequently diff rent from
that in its native locality. Being with
out its natural checks, it will some
times increase inordinately, as did the
IceryG pWrch0Si in California. Tne
San Jose scale, 80 destructive in the
United States, attracts so little atten
tion wherever it originally came from,
that We do not to this day know with
any certainty its original habitat.
Species closely allied to the San Jose
scale, natives of the United States, are
not nearly 80 destructive. Toe red
scale of the orange, ,AspidiotIs aWramtii,
in Jamaica never infests citrus fruits,
but occurs on ignum vitae and palms
how different are it's habits in Celitor-
niaI In Japan there is a scale almost
exactly identical with the San Jose
scale, which infests citrus trees, which
the real San Jose scale never does in
America Therefore, in view of such
facts a. these, we can fairly say that
we never know what we are in for,
when we introduce new scale.
The State GeE logist OF New Jersey
has lately visited Holland, and paid
particular attention to its dikes and
drainage system He proposes to
utilize the knowledge thus acquired by
diking and draining the Hackensack
and Newark salt meadows. These
comprise q, 900 acres, and if they can
be made cultivated land, they will be
exceedingly valuable, owing to tke
nearness to New York and the ether