The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-25
San JOS SC
IS DISCUSSED
ByProf. Atwood, ofBlacksburg, in an
Interesting Talk.
LEGISLATION TO CHECK PEST.
Tbc Expert Docs Not Consider That the
Scale Can be. Totally Destroyed,
But Loss from the Insect Can
DC Greatly Reduced.

Ayhcn seen at Murphys last night. where
he has been registered for the lsst7day
pr SO. gave the following Interesting and
technical discussion of the much perse-
Euted little insect Known as The san
Jose scale. Professor Atwood has made
q study OF this pest for several years,
and his talk upon the SUBJECTS interest," interest,"
ting and instructive:
..1lc San Jones scale is a minute III
Ito scale insect, which has done great
damage 10 fruit !rces and also &c some
other plants recently in the Eastern
United States.
II presume it is true that the average
fruit-grower or person who grows orna-
anental pla,,s has never seen the San Jose
scale, and would not know one If he did
see it, but, nevertheless, it is real pest,
and has very properly caused alarm. as
to where it came from before II vas ais
covered in America, we DO not eAaclly
know but il was discovered doing great
harm at San Jose. Cal, about thirty years
ago, and from there it was introduced
1nto the Eastern United States on nur-
sery stock about twelve years since.
1T cannot be introduced in any other
1Eonner than attached to some part OF
one Of its host plants. ms insect Is,
in fact, quite unable to move at Will al
ter it once becomes attached to its host
plant. and must live and die in the one
situation. Thus, it cannot Of its own
Telition pass to other plants. or travel
at any time during its life for any con-
siderable distance"
The young crawl for few hours after
birth. but so soon as they attach them
selves to the plant with their beak they
Become fixed and lose their legs, secret
Ing a covering which is called the scale,
and there they remain permanently. pro,
dIcing young after full growth, which is
in about thirty days.
haf 3loy 10 so ia1, mi 10 Ilanf 6
can only he accounted for by the enor-
tmous fecundity. or power to produce
young, possessed by this species The one
tiny scale is about one-thirty-second OF
an inch across, and could not harm 4
plant In the least, fbut still. when it is
understood that this little mother scale
can. during the course Of q season, pro-
iuce. If all her progeny live and multi
ply at the ordinary rate of 3,2SG. COX, 600
young, and that these are most all likely
to settle down near to the point where
they were produced, naturally spreading
only what is necessary to secure a feeding
place. it becomes apparent that plant
attacked Is soon crusted over with the
scales. and that from the combined at
tack of so many individuals 1t must SOON
er or later be destroyed.
''The most common way in which the
species is, spread is on nursery plants.
These. grown so close together in nursery
lows. interlace. and if only one plant In a
thousand is infested when planted in the
nursery, in the course of two or three
years many hundreds of plants become
infested by the insects moving from one to
the ether OF ;r,o colse set plants. Then,
when the nursery stock is shipped out,
If the stock is not treated so as to de-
stroy the scales. the result will pe that
this pest viii soon cover them up in
the orchard, and entirely destroy them,
and most likely spread TO other adjacent
plants.
III these plants do not touch this oc-
.curs generally from the agencies of man
IN cultivating the plants. The worllmen
or animals touch the plants, and the
rornc insects are carried away on the
ala.ils OF the workmen or the bodies of
the animals, and where they come in con-
tact again with other food plants the
young may be left thereon and thus
gain foot-hold on the new plants. Or
birds. or flying Insects may alight on an
infested plant which has the young scale
crawling on it, and these young may be
carried by these birds or insects to near
by plants or to a distance in the same
manner mentioned above. Thus, there is
every probability that where infested
plants are introduced in any locality that
the scale will spread slowly but steadily
Upon the food plants anywhere in the
vicinity.
This insect is so much more destr,,ct-
i've than other common insects, because,
as has partly been given above in speak
ing of the enormous reproductive powers;
and the further statement is that it can
not. of its own volition. leave the tree
or plant attacked and fly about like COM
mon Injurious insects. but must confine
its work almost wholly 10 the plant On
(which 1t was born. Hence it is that in
al = nv. +l,a
plant is destroyed. And further, this
species is so obscure tilat it is not likely
to be seen by the ordinary cultivator
until the plants are entirely covered Ey
the Scale. And the fact that the in
sectsi are covered over by the scale coat
anS naHes them so difficult to treat that
II is nothing like as easy To clear This
pest oil the infested plants as 1t is 10
clear out the ordinary injurious INSECTS
1t appears that this is a pest against
the ravages of which the fruit grower is
comparatively helpless.
That is in aliarge measure true; YET,
under the legislation in this State it now
seems that the question is being solved.
and We are going 10 be able in the future
10 largely prevent the injury commonly
resulting from this insect. and in many
cases TO suppress it entirely
In the first place. by a thorough and
systematic inspection Of all Our nurseries
disseminating plants in the State. and by
some proper provision of law by which we
can prevent Ibis pest being shipped into
the State on nursery stock. Then in those
cases where il has already gained a foot
hold in orchards. careful examination will
reveal its presence and the extent OF its
spread and We have now learned that the
insect can be destroyed by caustic washes
applied chiefly in the dormant season.
These washes are kerosene, used i'll fine
spray or heavy washes of soap, made by
using about one pound to a gallon OF
water.
Il do not think 1t is possible to eradi-
cate IL entirely from the large area over
which il has now spread in the eastern
United States, but am sure that its
further spread can be checked or almost
entirely stopped, and that the cases cc-
curling in orchards can be held in check
and in 1nanr instances eradicated. The
careful. thorough fruit grower need not
fear this pest. The careless, indifferent
n,erson will. doubtless. meet with disaster
sooner or later
IT am net ready TO say that we have
solved ali the minutiae, but during the