Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-08-31
GENERAL STATE INSPECTOR
Writes an Interesting Letter TO The
News.

ment ot horticultural Inspectors hy the
state Board Of Horticultural Society,
from political stand point " which | wish
70 clear away.
The State horticultural society stands
as sponsor for the board The law dis
tlnctly says that the Governor shall an.
point the parties recommended by the
society TO BE- members Of the state
Board Of inspectors.
The society Is composed OF fruitgrow.
ers without regard 10 politics aud they
recommend men for appointment on
State BoaFd without regard 10 their 90.
iiilcal affiliations. They to represent
The fruitgroWers NOT political parties.
Therefore the appointment Of inspec-
tors are not made along political lines.
The board has found it quite difficult
TO secure competent men for the work
OF inspection who ARE willing TO give
the necessary time and attention 20 the
work. some technical knowledge Of in-
sect life and fungi Is very necessary as
well as some knowledge Of the care OF
trees, etc.
in looking over the orchards around
Blaekioot find some injurious insects
preyinR on the trees but on The other
lnnd ] iind u number OF beneficial in
secls preylng upon them. Prominent
among these beneficial insects are the
lads bugs, lace wing and syrphus flies,
laryal. The lady bugs sometimes called
lady birds Ere well.known TO nearly
everyone. There ura six or more
species 81 them found ii Idaho. The
eggs are laid hy the parent beetle in
little clusters ON the leaf, stem or body
~ the plant or tree. They ARE OF a yell
i0Nish color; the eggs hatch II small
black soil.bolicd insect armed with
quite large mAndibles aud suck ing
tubes They mnnit three times. the
last stage produces the adult BEETLE.
thus ,heir life cycle Is completed. Their
entire feed supply consists Of other in
sects principally EphIs or tree lice.
LACE Wig FLIES:
Tho lace wing fir- are fragile looking
creatures. the body l. green. al'ont one
half long aud slender. while the wings
are comparatively very large aad net
ted. resembling u lawn tennis bat. The
parcn, Insect wcil.knowing the preda-
rcon- huhits of it, offspring. spins u
siikeu stem about of an inch long, on
the end of this shc filsieus the egg out
Of harms way; when the egg matches
the laryal crawis down the stem and
armed with Its comparatively huge
mandiblcs and sucking tubes II pro-
ceeds 10 dcyOur the tree lice or other
insects Of similar nature. On account
81 lis yoracious feeding il Is commonly
termed the aphis lion. When She larval
Il full grown II spins stlken cocoon
resembling a miniature coconut aud in
few days is transformed into fly.
Surplus FLIES
There are q number OF species of this
family 5at their habits are nearly all
alike. The parent ny deposits the egg
singly usually on the underside OF the
leaf near its food supply. The egg soon
hatcllcs and little green worm emerpes
having no eyes and only rudimentary
legs. obtaining rs food supply 10y means
Of an elongated sucking tube, feeling
around I, tlnds the aphis 1t pierces 1t
and holds 1t up just as an old topper
wonld n bottle OF beer aud never stops
sucking until all the juices are extract
ed from II. IL then descends the entry
bnll aud seeks for another section.
found the above mentioned allies OF
the farmer and fruitgrower busily en-.
gagged In the work OF extirpation in
tho orchard, garden and fields in the
vicinity OF Blackfoot aud wherever
they are in sufficient numbers they will
beat any spray pump that was ever in
vented. Il Is only when they are abb
sent that spraying for aphis has to be
resented to. might remark here that
the Almighty in the economy OF nature
has set up system OF checks and coun-
ter checks IN such manner that all
things being equal. no nature pest VIII
long remain such an account OF It's
natural enemies. OF course there are
a few exceptions to this rule, but u
comes In an account OF Imported pest
like the San Jose scale, codling moth,
ETC., which have no enemies here as
they have la their natural habitat, man
IL 10 blame for this and the burden
must fall on him aud he must light 10
win or surrender, no quarter viii be
viyen and none must he share " we ex-
meet 10 succeed in raising perfect frult.
This is especially true in regard to the
San Jose scale and codling moth etc.
The annual reports OF the State Board
containing formulas and directions for
the work, OF subduing the pest IN our
orchards aud fields, any farmer aud
s.t.......,,,,,, ,,,ay have "A ppDV bv Npply-