The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-03-02
The Novlus CARDINALS In Portugal.

A report sent out by the United
States Department of Agriculture says:
The Department of Agriculture of
Portugal, through DR.. Howard, ento-
mologist of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, and the courteous
cooperation of the State Board Of Hor-
ticulture of California, has succeeded
in repeating in Portugal the wonderful
success effected in California some
years ago partly through the efforts of
the department in saving the orange
industry of that state from annihila-
ton, owing to the ~depredations of the
white or fluted scale (Icerya purchasi),
by the introduction from Australia of
the Novius (Vedalia) cardinals, which
preys upon the scale and thus keeps it
in check.
In September, 1896, DR.. Howard was
appealed to by Portuguese authorities
for advice as to the most eficacious
NEAR of combating the ravages of the
scale which had appeared in disastrous
numbers in the orange and lemon
groves along the river Tagus. DR..
Howard having satisfied himself, by
examination of photographs and speci-
mems of the insect received from Por-
tugal, that it was undoubtedly the
Icerya purchase of California expert
ence, strongly advised his Portuguese
correspondents to attempt the intro
duction of the Novius cardinals and
pledged his cooperation in an effort 10
secure specimens and ship them to
Portugal. His advice and proffers of
assistance were cordially accepted. In
October, 1897, DR.. Howard secured from
the State Board Of Horticulture of
California about sixty specimens of the
Novius CARDINALS, in the adult condi-
ton, and some larvae. These were
packed in moss with a plentiful supply
Of Icerya as food, and forwarded from
Washington by direct mail. ONLY five
of the Noyius reached Portugal alive.
They were at once placed in glass lars
at the Chemical Agricultural Expert
ment Station at Lisbon and were so
successfully cared for that when heard
from in December there was already a
numerous progeny.
November q, a second colony of the
predatory beetles was received from
California. In order to hasten the
journey of this colony to Portugal, DR..
Howard took the packet to New York
and placed iC in cold storage, awaiting
the arrival of the direct steamer to Lis
bon. But in spite of these 'precau-
tions, and owing to several unfortun-
ate delays in transit, the packet did not
reach Lisbon until forty-four days after
it left California. One male and five
females were still alive, and, owing to
the great care taken of them by the
Portuguese officials, these survived and
multiplied. Owing to the great fe-
cundity Of the NOvius, the %breedings
from the six which reached Lisbon IL.
a few months reached man. thousands,
and colonies were established in Lis
bon and it's environs.
Reports received by DR.. Howard last
August were to the effect that many
thousands of the beetles had been dis
tributed and already about ninety col
onies had been established in and
around Lisbon. In the orange orchard
around tho propagation station the
beetles and larvae of Novius were reck-
oned by millions and colonies were be-
ing distributed daily to farmers and
gardeners who asked for them. Senior
Lecocq, who had charge of the work at
Lisbon gratefully acknowledges the in
valuable benefit done to Portuguese
agriculture and horticulture by the in
PRODUCTION of the beetle. Later infor-
nation is to the effect that colonies of
the Novius were established on not less
than 4S7 estates, whence naturally
many others were formed by radiation
Gardens and orchards that were com
pletely infested with the scale and
nearly ruined are today entirely clean
or well on the way toward becoming
so. The entomologist would not have
been able to assist the Portuguese row
eminent in accomplishing this great
' work had 1t not been for the enlight-