Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-09-12
NORTH SHORE SUBURBS WAR
RING WITH MAPLE SCALE.
DESTRUCTIVE RAVAGES
Habits of the Parasite and Methods by
Which 1t May Be Extermnated-
Black Fungus Follows the Scale
A Costly War-Pest Carried from
One Region to Another.

Chicago, Sept. 9.-Owing to the
depreGations of the cottony maple
scale and the rapid spread Of the dis
ease, property owners residing in the
north shore suburbs are making hard
fight for the lives of their trees and
shrubbery. Three or four years ago
the pest appeared in alarming proper
lions in Oak Park and North Evan
ston, and has gradually worked it's
way south with the succeeding seasons
TO Rogers Park and Edgewater.
The white naples and box elders are
the particular victims. However, the
eottony scale does not confine itself
to these two trees, but satisfies it's ap-
petite with the sap of nearly every
known bush and shrub. 1t has been
seen OIL the branches of carefully
guarded house oleander, and now has
attacked the syringa bushes in the
vicinity of Lincoln Park
The determination of the pest in
Edgewater is conducted on a scientific
plan. Consultation with the authori-
ties at Washington revealed the fact
that while the cottony scale was vor-
acious and unpleasant to look at, it's
feeding did not necessarily kill the
| tree.
1t is true that it is a hungry blood
sucker-correctly, a sap sucker-but
the hardy tree is usually able to re-
cover from it's attack, though the weak
er trees fall as victims. Still an at
tack following several seasons will
ultimately down the strongest tree and
the lest plan is to fight the cottony
scale out of the territory on it's first
appearance.
The cottony maple scale passes
| through three changes in the course of
! the year. The pest is carried from
one region to another in various forms;
it may be blown by the wind, or be on
the lnnocent-looking pressed leaf fall
ing from a school child's book to the
ground of some new locality. 1t fire.
fquently appears in new regions with
out any clew of it's former feeding
grounds.
During the winter an insignificant
brown scale may be discovered on the
twigs of the maple, alder or shrub at
Hacked. With the warm days the cot
tony substance protecting the eggs
| lifts the scale showing a white edge,
and in due season the young escape
and feed along the veins of the
leaves, hanging fast by hooked pro-
bosces which are sharp enough to
| ~, f1a 20 n
to escape. Professor Ellis A. Apgar
counted the number of scales on a
single leaf and estimated the average
to be 1000 to leaf. There were 1000
tiny pumps sucking the life blood of
the tree.
By sapping the vitality Of the tree a
weakened condition is the result. The
young of the cottony scale mate and
lay the eggs which are hidden under
the brown scales of the winter. When
the first signs of Awakening life show
III the white edges of the scale in
April comes the time for spraying
with kerosene emulsion or any of the
men. The young are then killed-both
eggs and mothers being destroyed.
The Edgewater crusade is in charge
Of d scientific man from the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania. The cost for
spraying a tree and trimming it is
i fixed at So. Should the tree escape the
cottony scale, it still shows the eff
fects of the attack, the foliage being
in bad condition, many limbs dead and
the shape unsightly. 1t needs coaxing
and treatment to bring it back to a
shade tree of beauty.
When the ravages of the cottony
maple scale are serious, the disappear
ance Of the pest is followed by black
fungus which still further depletes
the tree This fungus dries and permits
its spores to be blown by every pass
ing breeze. The disagreeable black
Gust falls on the clothing of passers-
by and settles on the faces and hands
Of children and is inhaled into the
lungs. The leaves of the trees become
= crisp under it's influence, as does all
the foliage busted with the black pow
der
Kerosene emulsion is a simple pre-
paration, and within the reach OF
everyone. The advice given by the
tree experts is to take a pail of emul-
sion and force pump and sprayer and
get to work at the first appearance of
the scale.