The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-31
ADV BUGS PROTECT TREES
r..1-l.. rsrozzers of the South Ina II
the Insects Destroyefs o.
the Scale.

..eoies Of insect. eomraonly
Knows as the lady bug, IS s,atlhg ts.S
mendous quantities OF ses..o4 ZOOS on
have devastated the orang : s = - zoos
tho lower coast, thus resculhg 1hs - ~.
snd fruit from the threateh VS.
49, says the Ne0 orleans Picasane.
M M bne. destroys its enemy on .ns
emo theory as the Guatemala ans,
s 49,. was imported in this county,
f,.or, tbe republic faGuateI11ala ai1a
: sat - work killing the boil WeeFIl -
Texas under the personai uileosio nj
the United States department = =
culture. a1,,a.s ef
7 o,,ieiana to realize the value OF Iaus=
hugs in lighting the DESTRUCTIVE $40
IS Anthony Commander VINO oNn7
large and valuable orange grove
enor+ distance below the forts OF tle
lower Mississippi. lie saia iosI 80
that he has been cultivat1ng these U.S.
IN his place since last SEPTEMBER, "hei
he quit spraying his trees VIII re-
and kerosene emissions, IN sptslel-
a1,ca for the more economical insect
desfroving habits of the destructive
scales. at+ar
Mr.. Commander and several oths1
orange growers on the Grand Isle raaI-
road are doing everything IN ene41
power to propagate lady bugs on lheis
groves. as they unhesitatingly pelleVs
that thew are the only means by winch
scales can be effectually removed 1Foin
the trees. The use of powerful 3ehel'lll-
Gals. which have to be appilea Will
sprav, at considerable cost and extra
work, give only temporary reheI'
while the bugs feed on the scales u
the same manner as the GuatenaIs
ants do with the boil WeeVll- NC
scales ever remain as long as the8bhgs
are in the neighborhood, as the scales
are quickly eaten by their natural
enemy.
When Mr. Commander first began to
experiment with lady bugs there were
comparatively few Of these insects on
his orchard. For two years pFeeed-
ing last September he faithfully at
tempted to get a full and paying crop
with the aid Of kerosene an resin
emuIsions, which he did not lind az
satisfactory as they should have BEEN
He had read of the value of lady bugs
as a. preventive against scales in re-
ports circulated by the United States
department of agriculture hrst
started the cultivation Of the bugs By
gathering ore bug ata time, as found
them on the orange trees, until ! had
collected small colonies On different
trees explained Mr.. Commander, the
other afternoon. It was slow and te-
dious work, but as I had become dis
gusted with the cost of spraying, /
was determined to make thorough ez-
pertinent with the bugs before aban-
doning the work. [ spent over S1,590
in 1902 in using the spraying system,
and if it had to be continued could
not place my oranges on the market
with profit. 1t was either success with
the bugs, or ruin with the kerosene
and resin emissions, which ultimately
injure the trees and produce poor
fruit.
The bugs did not injure the trees
or the fruit whatever. All they do is
to feed on scales, which are easy prey
for the bugs. As long as there are
scales in sight the bugs will be on
hand to kill the evil insects, and as the
scales so from orchard to orchard, the
bugs follow them until the scales ara
totally destroyed. All that is neces.
sary to cultivate the propagation Ct
the bug is for the grower to collect
the bugs in small colonies and not mo.
lest them. Hundreds of bugs are killed
in spraying trees, which are not half
as well benefited by this chemical
process as by the colonization of the
bugs
Mr.. Commander said that ali orange
growers on the lower coast are getting
satisfactory results from lady bugs.
without which the Louisiana orange
crops would be quickly destroyed or pro-
duce fruit at such enormous cost as to
make it improbable to raise oranges.
The bugs are becoming plentiful down
there, and scales are showing a remark.
able decrease with the propagation 81
the insect killers. In time there will be
more of thelatter than scales, whiehwill
result IN a substantial increase in the
yield of Louisiana oranges.
The opinion was ventured by EEr. COM
mander that the output of oranges on the
lower coast the coming season will show
big increase over last year. The pres
ent satisfactory conditions, he declared
are due to the absence, Of excessive cold
last winter and favorable Weatherduring
the spring and summer.
Horses Trick.
An incident is related of horse, kind.
intelligent and good natured. hui as faIli