Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-02-15

hundred failures. This is the
substance of the argument set forth
by the states entomologist to JUS
tify law to compel all orchardists
to continue the old expensive and
unsatisfactory methods of combat
ting this pest. IF the fruit grow
ers follow the advice of this writer
they will continue in the same old
rut, and if the legislature is guided
by his recommendations the fruit
growers will be compelled to spray
in the same old way Indefinitely
without hope of benefit, even by
the confession of Prof. Aldrich.
The fact is the lime, sulphur
and salt spray is failure as scale
exterminator, and it is not neces-
ess airy to look farther than Prof.
Aldrich's bulletin to establish this
fact.
The solution has killed the fruit
in more instances than it has
killed the pests for which it was
employed. From the light Of pres
ent experience it is probable that
any chemical spray that will kill
the sc lie with certainty will kill
the fruit and the tree too, and per.
haps break the owner of the orch
ard at the same time.
The fact is we'll established that
off cialism will not eradicate the
scale from infested orchards with
out additional light on the subject.
The manifest course to be pursued
then is not the compulsory use of
lime, sulphur and salt. but further
investigation. In the meantime
every infested orchard should be
cut down and burned. This might
be heroic remedy, but when the
fact remains that after the expend-
iture of fortunes no infested orch
ard Except a few trees in Boise)
HIS ever been freed from the scale;
but that every infested orchard has
become worthless or been killed
outright, it would be better to de-
stroy the orchards at once. The
state entonologist could and he
should shed the light of scientific
investigation upon the fruit grow
ers. They are the most progress
sive business men in the country.
When they are informed of practt-
cable remedies they will utilize
the knowledge without the stimu:
lus Of statutory penalties. AS the
scale has no means OF self-trans-
portation even from one tree to
another in the same orchard the
danger to general dissemination is
removed by knowledge of its hab.
its. With present knowledge of the
scale ii is and will continue to be
kept well in bounds by the use of
axe and fire. The dependence
upon the spray pump has promot-
ed the spreading of the scale. The
use of lime, sulphur and salt has
very probably destroyed the enc
mics of the sc,le, the lady birds
especially. And if the orchardist
had never depended upon this ST ray
he would have used the axe and
fire remedy more effectively. 1t
is not wise to blind people with
the advice to continue to spray
only and let the scale continue to
spread as it has done for ten years
under practically the same treat
inent.
The scale has no terrors for the
orchardist who knows the condi-
tons under which 1t spreads. The
vigilant fruit grower can protect
his orchard without great expense
or risk with only street or lane
to separate him from an infested
orchard. He would not, however,
depend upon promiscuous spray
ing He would return to the first
principle of axe aud fire. When
1t Is known that the San Jose scale
could not under natural conditions
pass from one tree to the other for at
least twelve months, and could not
be expected to spread one foot from
the place of its first Judgment in
twenty-five months, why should
it be regarded as terror by the
well-informed fruit grower?
The alarm cries raised by those
who desire more to promote APP
propriations of pubic money and