The herald., 1898-07-16

PROF. COOKS INVESTIGATIONS
AROUND POMONA
Tumigation Pays-Absolutely Effect.
i've Against Both Red and Black
Scale-Pease's Work

CLAREMONT, July 14-Your correspond
ent has this day braved the extreme heat
and has made q painstaking and thorough
examination of the work of the Horttcul-
tural commission of San Bernardi1jD coun-
ty about Ontario. He has witnessed an
object lesion that should be studied by
every citrus fruit grower. To see would
be to believe; to believe would lead to ac-
ton, and action would surely thicken the
pccketboolk.
John Scott has said: "Once the red scale,
always the red SCALE" Were he to study
the work at Ontario he would modify his
statement thus: "Once system and thor
oughness, and even the red scale must CO."
Trees very thoroughly treated four years
ago, though then fairly alive with this pest.
are now practically clean. Trees treated at
the same time with contiguous plum tree
untreated, though then harboring the
SCALE are now showing many red scale and
are about to be fumigated. Trees treated
for red scale three months ago show, after
long search not q single live scale. The
same was true Of trees treated last fall for
black scale. I have never before searched
in vain for living scale after fumigation.
One orchard owned by man who had little
faith in gassing. permitted fumigation for
one night. He has a convincing object les
son at his very door. The treated trees are
clean, fresh and vigorous. The others are
black, crowded with scales and languish-
ing. One blindfolded could tell where the
work ceased by simply feeling among the
foliage. In the one case the leaves are dry
and clean; in the other they are sticky
with the honey dew.
These experiments show conclusively,
first, that Immigration pays enormously;
second, that thorough fumigation is alb
solutely effective against both the red and
the black scale; third, that system and
tboroughness are all important; fourth,
that the contract system lacks in thorough
ness, the all-important condition for sue
cess and satisfaction.
Mr. Pease, who has the work at Ontario
in charge, Is very studious, very close OBJ
server and always goes to the root OF
things Such men are in the right place in
this insect warfare. They have fumigated
900 trees which average in age about
nine years, at an expense per tree of 12lz
cents. Four outfits were kept at work
The campaign opened September 4th. Nine
and three-twentieths tons of cyanide Of
potassium were used. The average per tree
was three ounces, though in some cases
| twenty ounces were used to fight the red
scale. The tents were left on each tree
forty minutes. It is safe to leave tents or
| for an entire night, and for the red scale
the tents should be kept over q much longer
time than in fighting the young black
scale.
| 1t would be thousands Of dollars in the
| pockets Of Southern California could al
our fruit growers be melted to actor
against these pests of the citrus orchards
Club, institute, each of us should work fol
this. Each community should have an in
sect committee in it's club, who should
study the question as has Mr.. Pease, unit
It knew all the ms and outs of these seal
pests. Each fumigation outfit should hav,
an interested foreman that system ant
thoroughness might never be omitted. TIL,
contract system, which il ever tempted t,
| white down the dose and cut short tn,
time, will always be weighed in the balance
and found wanting. 1t does good and i!
much better than nothing. but is expensive
and will ever be unsatisfactory. So lonl
as 1t lacks system and thoroughncss have
| always found live scale in Its wake.
found none in my search today. A. ]. G.