The herald., 1898-12-30
THE fPURPLESCALfP PEST
REPORT FORWARDED By COM
MISSIONER CoMPERE
His Experiences in Hawaii While
Searching for Parasites-Success
of His Investigations

The board of supervisors is in receipt OF
a very pleasing report from George Com
pere, the special commissioner who was sent
to Hawaii recently at the expense of the
county to secure a parasite suited to the
eradication of the purple scale. HIS sue
cess is matter of congratulation 10 the
supervisors, who feel that this pest will soon
be overcome as thoroughly as has been the
cottony cushion scale, SO long the dread OF
orchardists. Mr.. Compere writes:
Honolulu, Ii. l., Dec. 20, 1905.
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors
OF Los Angeles county-Gentlemen: As
your honorable board have sent me here to
secure parasite of the purple scale, Will
inform you of the conditions here.
In the first place, find that there are
not many citrus trees here on this island,
there is no such thing as an orchard here,
only few trees in any one place, and there
are few places where there are as many as
twenty trees in place, and these are all
well cared for and are free from live scale,
with the exception of the wax scale, and
that is not very destructive, but great
many of the trees are. infected with, rust
mite, Typhlodromus Olcivorus. This is a
very dangerous pest, and one that is difficult
to exterminate. This mite attacks indiscrlm-
lnately the various species OF citrus trees:
There are few trees infested with the red
scale, and no parasites destroying it to any
great extent. The steel blue lady bird,
Orcus Chalybeus, are feeding on it some.
The white cottony cushion scale is found
here yet on trees and plants that are badly
infested with ants. The ants destroy the
larvae Of the Vedala and the same trouble
is found in destroying the mealy bug that
infests the pineapples and citrus trees, where
the ants are the lady-bug Crypolaemus
Montrouzieri, can not get to work on the
pest, the white scale and meally bug are not
considered a pest any longer here.
AS for the purple scale, it has two para
sites here, and either one of them, if once
established in Los Angeles county would
eXterminate the purple scale to such an en-
tent that it will no longer be considered a
pest. One of them is lady-bird Chiloeorus
Circumdatus, the other is small internal
parasite
The first ten days that 1 was here was
spent in searching for the lady-bird, and It
was not until ] found that one and placed
it in breeding jars and began feeding them
that / discovered that only very few scale
were found on trees that had the appear
ance of yet being very badly infested, but
on making a close examination it was found
that they all had small hole in the back and
all were dead. As soon as Prof. Koebele ar
rived here l reported to him what l had
they had done, as it is not long since he
sent this parasite here from one of the other
islands. This parasite works on trees that
no lady-bird can work on here, on account
OF the ants and lizards that infest some of
the trees. There is one species of ants with
very powerful jaws, and it only takes them
a few moments to destroy lady-bird or its
larvae.
BY this steamer | send to the Horticul-
tural Commission one package of the Chill
ocorus Circumdatus and one package of the
internal parasites, and l also send one OF
each to Mr. VIM. Wood of Rivera, as well
as some other parasites for Aphis, and will
send some by every steamer after this. There
are number of very valuable parasites
here that we have plenty of work fer in
Los Angeles, two in particular that feed on
Aphis and plant-lice of all kinds. This
will prove of great value to the walnut
growers, as the walnut trees suffered
great deal from the ravages of this pest this
past season in all parts of the county.
will send as many of these lady-brds as
can find. One of them is platyomus Livid-
igaster. The other is Coccinela Repanla,
and there are others that / will try to send
over if l have time to do so while l am
over here.
Prof Koebele has been worth millions
of dollars to planters of these islands, and
they think great deal of him. and | don't
think that they will ever part with him.
He has been very kind to me since he ar
rived. and is doing all he can to help make
a success of my trip over here. If any per-
son was to come here with fumigating
or spraying outfit he would be laughed at
GEO. COMPERE."