The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-09-09
CHINESE BEETLES.
Prof. CordleY Has Four of Them They
Prey on San Jose Scale Efforts
to Propagate Them Here.

| to propagate Them Here.
At the college, there are four big
beetles of kind that is wholly
strange to this country. Their
home is in China, but the presence
of the four at the college is an ef-
fort to introduce the species into the
United States. They are,the Asiatic
Lady Bird Beetle. and they are the
natural enemy to the San Jose Scale.
They feed on the scale, and multi
ply in such numbers that where
they are, the scale cannot thrive.
That is the history OF the beetle and
the scale in China. which is said to
have been the original home Of the
dreaded scale.
The four beetles in question are
in charge of Prof. Cordley entonnolo-
gist at the college aud station. They
were sent to him from the Agricul-
tura1 Department at Washington.
They were bred and reared in Wash
ington from specimens secured in
the Celestial Empire. Two thous-
and of them were lately sent out
by the department to the various
Agricultural colleges ofthe country,
with a purpose of introducing them
and securing their propagation in
the various states in the Union.
Forty were sent Prof. Cord1ey, but
eight of them died on the way.
The ;,,et etr,,o+io%e fro-,, tLa Jo,,orf
ment were to turn the beetles loose
in some spot where San Jose Scale
was most prave1ent. Following
these directions, Prof. Cordley took
28 of the bugs to Jackson County
where the Scale is widely prevalent.
There, they were turned loose in
an abandoned pear thicket near
Jacksonville. The trees in the
thicket have all gone wild, and are
badly affected with the Scale. ALL
the conditions are ideal for the bugs
to get start there, and if they can
be propagated anywhere in Oregon,
a multitude from this parent stock
should spring UP in Jackson Coun
ty. The experiment out there will |
be watched with interest, especially |
by orchardists.
With the four beetles at the COL
lege Prof. Cord1ey will make ex-
periments in propagation. Such en-
vironments as they may require will
be placed around them, and the ef-
fort be made to secure from them
an added supply to turn adrift to rus
tie for themselves in various parts
of the state. By similar means va
rious pests in the past have been ar
rested and controlled. The Cottony
Cushion Scale, which made havoc
in orange and lemon trees in South
ern California, was almost elininat-
ed several years ago by the intro
duction of Lady Bug Beetles of a
different variety from Australia. The
present experiment is to be conduct
ed on the same lines. The main
question in the scheme is whether
or not the bugs will survive under
Oregon climatic conditions. If
they turn out to be as prolific as
have the pheasants imported from
China, the result is certain to be fa-
though years will erequir-
ed for the plan to become effective.
The same plan with the beetles has
been tried in California and New
Jersey, but in each instance, the eff
fort ended in failure. The beetles
could not live iu the climate Of
either state. s3
The Asiatic Lady Bug Beetles
are about three-sixteenths of an inch t
in diameter, and are almost round.
They are entirely black, except for
The presence of red spot on each
wing. They are accounted about
The most precious of all the interest
ng things Prof. Cordley has in his Il
and at this early stage
N his associations with them, they
Ire the object of much of his solic-
tude. /,