The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-14

partment Of Agriculture would be en-
abled by next autumn to send q supply OF
iady-bugs to- every fruit grower OF con-
sequence in America, and THAT by the
next spring time. every farmer In Amer
lea might be supplied with this natural
foe and absolutely destructive agent Of
the San jose scale. The ladyIbug Is thus
to preserve the fruit orchards in Amer
lea. -
This little beetle collected by DR.. Mar
iette of the Department of Agriculture.
to the farmers and the fruit growers Of
the United States. uncountable millions
Of money. The thing is marvellous be-
These facts concerning the lady-bug,
ascertained by Congressman Wiley, are
of cast import to Georgia. Alabama, mis-
sissippi and all the States OF the Soutf,
especially. and all the States of the Tn
ion in general. for the San Jose scale
works its destruction In every locality OF
the United States. Its application to Ala
bama is of immense Importance. Any man
who may travel from the Tennessee line
to Mobile or from the Mississippi lire
to Eufaula In the east, may discover bp
looking out of the car window innumer-
able orchards which have been entirely
or in large part DESTROYED by the San
Jose scale. The average traveller does not
know what agency has killed the thou
sands of dead fruit trees he sees on his
way. He may be now made aware that
the destruction he witnesses Is the work
faula pears, Grcenvalle peaches. Ever
green peaches and pears. pears and APP
pies in the various counties OF Alabama,
are known to all the Alabama people. So
destructive had become the San Jose
scale of late years. that the growing Of
these fruits was proving to be more and
more Improbable, until the fruit grow
ers and the farmers have been forced to
consider the necessity of abandoning
their orchards altogether. Indeed, many
of them have already ceased their work
of fruit growing. In days long ego 1t
was common to see apple and peach or
chards filled with strong and healthy
trees that had survived three score WIN
high. That kind of orchard has been made
impossible by. the San Jose scale. and
the fruit growers of Georgia, Alabama
and Mississippi tell us that the hfe OF
a fruit bearing orchard of peaches is
not above seven years. Within that brief
space of time the San Jose scale destroys
the trees.
This win give some general impression
of the great deStructiveness of that in
finitesimal insect we call colloquially the
San Jose scale. The scientific name of
this parasite of the fruit trees cannot be
here given you.
Congressman Wiley in this. as In so
many other relations of public life in
Washington, has done an inestimable SER
vice to his own people in discovering to
them method soon of realization where
by the san Jose scale may be destroyed,
and the orchards of our fair land restored
to their old value, beauty and glory of
loneliness. Colonel Wiley Is enabled by
Secretary Wilson to point the way to
the redemption of our wondrous orchards
from the curse that would destroy them.
Some extraordinarily absurd rumors
have been telegraphed from Washington
to certain Alabama newspapers that the
Senate amendment to the river and har-
Dor appropriation will, providing for the
improvement of the Coosa River, imperil
the bill as 1t passed the House and might
defeat the bill altogether This Is the SILL
est of all nonsense. and It's publication Is
positively astounding. Even the most
foolish of all newspapers in Alabama
represented. by silly persons IN Washing
ton might have guessed the truth. The
Alabama items are secured in the rivers
and harbors bill of the House by Con-
gresham Bankhead. and by him alone
regardless of the claims of others, have
passed both the House and the Senate,
and are not I'm dispute. The rivers and
harbors bill will become law. Only fools
question this Alabama Is made safe by
Congressman .Bankhead, without regard
to the time-serYers who are trying to
steal another mans work.