The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-04-27

conditions" or B. II. Wright. make.
that particular remedy impracticabIe.
But whatever the remedy. the idea
or principle remains the same. This
idea is this. these insects are sucking
insects and obtain their food by pierre
ing the tissue OF the plant and BY
means of Sube-like mouth parts suck
the sap or juice. A poison placed on
the surface of the infested part of the
plant will not kiln the pest since they
do not eat the plant and therefore
would not take the poison Tito their
systems. A poison strong enough to
enter the tissue of the plant and render
the sap deadly to the pest would kill
the plant as well and little Roadway
would have been made Hence the
remedy in the case of such a pest as
the pear blight" must be applied to
the insect itself and destroys the pest
either as a contact poison because of it's
caustic properties or by covering the
insect so thoroughly that it is smoth-
cred.
Up to the present time there has been
no attempt to cultivate the alligator
pear in Hawaii. The conditions under
which it is grown are not favorable
for the best growth and production.
The trees suffering most from the at
tack are in closely planted dooryards
and receive no cultivation and little
attention. A tree cannot well serve a
double purpose. If an ornamental tree
is desired, uproot the pear and put a
more suitable one in it's place. A tree
to produce fruit must be pruned and
cultivated and this means a destruction
of the sod about it's roots and the cut
ting away of certain branches which
will in many cases lessen it's value as
shade tree and it's beauty as an orna-.
mental. Cultivation will increase the
vigor and productiveness 1t is neces-
sary that the vigor of plant be main
tanned for it to resist the attacks of
pests and disease. If the soil is de-
ficient in the proper plant food. fer
tilizer must be added to stimulate the
growth.
The abundance and general appear
ance of the scale insects and their re-
lated species in this Territory is the
result of gross carefessness. Trees sent
from one place to another or selected
for planting in any instance should be
carefully examined by one capable of
recognizing the presence of pest and
if found to be infested should either be
well cleaned or destroyed. Even an
expert in the examination of any great
number of plants cannot invariably de-
tect the presence of pest in all it's
different and variable forms but, to |
say the least, the danger from this |
source can be greatly lessened. Fur |
thermore. not SO much will depend on !
legislation as on the effort of the in
dividual. A man who is made to see
in what way his industry is threatened |
the cause, does not need a legislative I
enactment to compel him to seek an
remedy or take the necessary precau
tions to forestall the possible calamity.
In a general way the life-history of
the members of the family coccidae is
the same. The young. with few excep-
tons, are Matched from minute eggs.
They are small, fiat, creatures, posses
sing legs and distinct head with suck
ing mouth-parts. The young are ac-
tive and dispense quickly over the plant
to feed. Where the limbs of an infest-
ed tree overlap the limbs of another
it is possible for the young to travel
from tree to tree or they can be blown
on leaves by the wind from one tree to
another. AS growth takes place the
Insects moult, that is. cast their skins.
several times ineorder to provide for
he increase in size. The females when
,ull grown remain stationary and
;ecrete about themselves a covering,
either scale. or one resembling meal
IF cotton in appearance. Hence the
name "mealy-bug." The males con-
.inue in their development and spin j
about themselves a cocoon in which
hey change to a winged form. ]
THE MELON FLY.
Along in July 1 went down to the Wa
liawa Colony to investigate the
injury to the melon crop by the
melon fly. This is a true fly,
lew trypetid, to which has been given
he name dacus cucurbitae- Its food
,Iants consist of all members of the
amily cucurbitacae. The fields were
f development in a state. of decay
The female fly by means of her
vipositor pierces the epidermis of the I,
Melon and deposits from fifteen to
wenty eggs In the one incision. The
cry young melons are commonly at
acked since then the skin or rind is
lore tender and more easily penetrated