The herald., 1897-11-06
Fruit Pests in the County
Nearly Eradicated
SCALE AND ITS ENEMIES
PARASITES, FUMIGATION AND
SPRAYING RESORTED TO
Work Of the Horticultural Commiss-
ioners-Library and Pamph-
lets for Free Distribution

During the past month the growers of
citrus fruit trees throughout Los An
geles county have been waging relent-
less war upon the black scale Gecaniunl
Olea) which has been so prevalent the
past few weeks. and which for a time
threatened to ruin every orchard in this
section. The red scale Aonidia Au-
rantiD and the purple scale (Mytilaspis)
has also been increasing recently, and
the situation became far more serious
than many people were aware How
ever, the growers are now masters of
the situation.
In speaking of the matter yesterday,
c. G. Kellogg. secretary of the Los An
geles county board of horticulture. said:
For time the outlook was indeed
gloomy, as there were few orchards that
were not infested with either the black,
red or purple scale. The former
abounded in large numbers, and what
destroyed it would not work effectively
on the other kind. The purple and red
scale are far more dangerous than the
black. They infest the fruit all over,
also the leaves and limbs of the tree
They confine their depredations mostly
to citrus fruit.
'The board visited every district in
the county and appointed reliable in
spectors who went heroically to work
in conjunction with the growers, and
now the prospects are that the pests
inn taH "a "
collected and distributed to date about
$4,000 of the parasite Rhizobius ventralis,
for the black scale, and so far they have
proven beneficial. This parasite has
been distributed in over 900 orchards in
different parts of the county. We have
also distributed 10 colonies of the para
site vedalia cardinals for the white
scale, which exists in but few places.
Inspectors have already assisted i'll
working upon pests in something over
$500 orchards.
"Fumigation is being carried on eX-
tensively in orchards near Monrovia,
Azusa, Glendora, Covina, San Dimas
and Pomona at the rate of 200o to 5000
trees per night, and will be so continued
until the end of the season.
There are about $50 tents, all using
hydrocyanic acid gas, made only from
the very best of chemicals. There have
been 345,000 trees fumigated and 10000
sprayed so far this season.
Fruits infected with red scale have
been rigidly quarantined, and dealers
made to understand that the handling
of the same will not be permitted. am
just in receipt of letter from Alexander
Craw quarantine officer and entomolo-
gist of the state board of horticulture
at San Francisco, in which he requests
me to notify all citrus fruit growers
in districts where the purple scale is
found not to ship any infected fruit to
any point in California. He also states
he stopped. short time ago, two lots
of forty boxes of fruit each, which were
returned to the shippers because they
were infected with scale We want to
make determined effort to stamp out
the pest, and by hearty cooperation of
the growers we hope to be successful
However. in some instances, we have
found where the latter had become
negligent in the care of their orchards.
Parasites placed on the county farm
did not seem to do as we'll as in other
portions of the county, and for some
time we were puzzled to understand the
cause. Every known effort was made
to determine the reason, and not until
a few days ago has the board discov-
cred the trouble. The linnets are eat
ing them. This may seem strange, but
it is true. One of our inspectors re-
Gently killed one of these birds, and in
its craw found any number of parasites.
We are afraid that this evil will ma
terially affect our work in clearing or
chads of the scale. We are leaving moth
ing undone that will assist in preventing
the scale from spreading. In orchards.
even the ladders, boxes, sacks, etc, used
are fumigated. All packers have been
notified that they must send out no fruit
without first thoroughly fumigating it.
Steamers plying between San Francisco
and Mexican and South American ports,
stopping at ports in this county, are in
spected each trip to see that no pests
are introduced. The railroads operating
in this county have kindly responded to
our request, in notifying us of the ar
rival or shipment of commodities COM
ing under our jurisdiction. Fruit eX-
changes, commission houses or others
dealing in fruits and fruit trees, have
also signified their desire to assist us in
our work.
The board of horticulture has recent
ly received through the kindness of
United States Senator Stephen NJ
White several hundred copies of the
United States agricultural reports,
which are very valuable, and which will
be given to any one on application.
Secretary Lelong of the state board
has also sent down some important
state reports. Secretary Kellogg states
that the board has just started a library
which will contain books. papers and
other periodicals devoted to the interest
of horticulture and which the public.
particularly the fruit growers, will be
urged to patronize literally.
The California State Fruit Growers
convention will convene in it's twenty
first session at Sacramento Nov. 1G, II.
is and 10, under the auspices of the
state board of horticulture. Chairman
l.. II. Rust of the Los Angeles county
board will go as a delegate. The ses-
sion promises to be more important and
largely attended than any which has
yet been held. Eminent horticulturists 5
will present papers during the session
that will treat on subjects important to
the fruit growers.
East Side Notes