Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-13
GERMANY AND AMERICAN FRUIT.
Letter from Prof. Atwood, of Ex-
pertinent station. On the subfect.


Blacksburg, Va. February 6, 1888
To tho Editor OF the Dispatch:
desire to offer a few comments on the |
Geographic dispatches appearing In your
issues of February I'd and Sd fhom Ber-
lin, Germany. and Washington. d. g. in
relation TO the German ministry prohib-
Ting the entry OF American fruits into
the German empire. While this action
appears to have come quite unexpectedly,
SO far as the general public is concerned,
u has been well-known to experts on
the subject or insect pests and diseases
or plants that the German Government
mas been making careful inquiry in this
country fer several months past in regard
10 the, spread Of our dangerous orchard
| pests-more especially the San Jose scale.
BY persons convefsant with the facts,
this action has been expected for some
months. TO orchardlsts and nurserymen
the prevalence OF and the danger with
which we are threatened from this in
sect pest just mentioned has been rea-
ized for several years past. but the gen.
| eral public Is quite uniformed OF these
| facts, consequently, ] deem this favor
able opportunity to present few words
through the columns OF your paper.
In 1893 this minute insect pest was first
| discovered in the east at Charlottesville,
1
logists have been busy pushing their in
| vestigations until, now. with the excep-
| ton OF two or three States, the entire
| Eastern United States are known to be
| infested. The source OF this infection in
the beginning was California, but IL was
introduced into our eastern nurseries, and
from them it has been disseminated quite
generally, as stated above. The alarm
caused among nurserymen and fruit
| ~ lad 90
sentation OF a bill at the last session OF
the General Assembly commonly known
| as the San Jose scale bill which was
passed. placing the work of inspection
and eradication Of this pest in the hands
Of the Board of Control Of the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station. However the
lack Of general information in regard to
the probable seriousness of THIS pest led
TO It's being considered as an important
piece of special legislation. and, as a con-
sequence, the appropriation asked for
! was stricken out and the measure as
passed provided no funds whatever for
its execution. The Board of Control of
the Experiment Station has appropriated
such small sums as it was possible to do
TO the enforcement of this act during
the past two years, with the result that
we have discovered the existence of this
pest in twenty-seven counties of the
state, and about one hundred premises are
now known to be infested. Most Of these
are small premises, where only a few
trees are affected, and presumably in
these cases the pest could be easily
eradicated; but in some cases extensive
orchards are infested, and the danger is
likely to become very serious. Already
| single orchards amounting to ten thou
sand trees have been utterly destroyed
by this pest. OF the forty-three nurse
ries known TO me in the State, ten have
EDrf "a fgIx
the infection was in each case except
one, discovered before many scale-in-
tested trees had been disseminated. Thus
il appears that we have received this
scale insect in most instances from par
ties without the State, principally New
Jersey and Maryland nurserymen.
L have heretofore avoided giving pub
liclty to these matters in the newspapers,
because 1 feared TO create alarm and
} thereby injure the orchard industry. Also,
l was we'll aware that If foreign govern
J ments learned the true state OF the case,
it would lead to just such action as mas
=. now been taken by the German ministry
and the Bundesrath.
Now that it appears that the facts are
l we'll known, I have thought 1t best TO
? make this brief statement. The fruit
growers of the State are now asking the
[ LEGISLATURE TO pass an amended act oeal-
ing with the San Jose scale, Which APP
propriates 1900 to cover the period OF
0 two years for further investigation OF
this subject and the execution or proper
, measures to eradicate the pest so far jas
! POSSIBLE. The sum of 5000 asked 1or
bv the State horticultural Society Is GER
tainly a very meagre appropriation, con-
sidering the important interests at stake
= and unless the counties are given au-
= thority to levy a special tax TO take hoio
y of this subject through local ofiicers
= wherever It may be necessary, TINS sun
S asked for will be OF very little Valus
e 81 far as the eradication of the pest !.
concerned IL will, however, l shoulu
= think. be quite sufficient for the expense
r of investigating and finding out the ful
I ev+ent of the spread I'm this State, anc
n Affecting the work of eradication. L an
clad to say that through the action taKei
= nv the Board Of Control OF the EXperi
ment Station our State nurseries nave
heen quite freed from this pest, ana W.
| are no longer in danger or their olssehi
mating if the expert oversight now en-
: ! sorced in the nurseries is continued; pu
10 ore stfll in danger from nurseries Out
stda tho state This point, however. WI
c do1btless be covered by Federal oil
? now before Congress; but no Federai ia'
- will help US in regard 10 local niieS'e'
. areas. It,. 49, ooyern
: 1t authorities hold that no part OF IN
/ Federal appropriation for experlme MA
J. -, con he used for this purely eco
I. nomic work, which involves ohly .ho az y
IS n nTcaiI Of what is well-known to sci
e entihc workers. Ill, orous
i otber countries. and the war a. on
e fruit fruit products may extend SO au 10 Se
= r hamper one of our most pro mnSl
Industries. WILLIAM b. AhW ~.
y Entomologist Virginia Agricultural 20
It pertinent Station.
Colonel Bigger as Reaoer'