Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-06


TO he Infested with Enemies of
Purple Scale. and Then brought
Back TO Their Starting PIace-Curf-
osity of Cinnamon to See George
Compere, Who Handled the Trees
In the Orient.
From San Francisco to New York.
from New York to Brazil, from Brazil
to London, from London to West Aus
tralia, from Australia to China and
from China to San Francisco is the
itinerary OF the latest scientific bug
hunt OF the state horticultural depart
ment OF California, says the San Fran
cisco Call.
The hunter was George Compere,
who recently arrived in San Francisco
from China Compere went for para
sites to prey on two kinds of scales
that infest and destroy orange trees.
One sort he found and carried to West
Australia on a government order. The
second parasite involved the most Gu
rious quest for relief from pests and
the longest one in point of miles ira
versed in the interest of science that
the annals of such work may boast.
The purple scale damages the orange
trees of southern California largely
Some months ago a parasite that kills
the purple scale was found, and many
OF its eggs were sent to San Francisco
to the quarantine station for insect
pests in the Ferry building in cold
storage. There the specimens We're
viewed with admiration by Ehrhorn
and Carnes. and great results We're
hoped for. Unfortunately the eggs did
not hatch. Probably the cold storage
was too severe for them.
How to get the parasite to San Fran
cisco in shape to do business as against
the purple scale was q question that
became pressing. Compere was cir
COMMUNICATING the world COmmuni-
cation was had with him, and it was
agreed that trees infested with the
purple scale should be sent from San
Francisco TO China, to be taken inland
there exposed 90 the visits of the pur-
pie scale eXterminator.
Compere found the trees from Cali
fornia in China at a seaport He then
had to journey by boat many days up
a river that ran SO swiftly that oars
men could not row against the current,
and it was necessary to have coolies
On the river banks pull the boats along
with ropes for days at Il time. Final
ly, after some rough experiences, Com
pere reached the province that is the
home of the enemy of the purple scale.
There he went ashore. Thousands of
the Chinese farmers in the neighbor-
hood had never seen Il white man be-
fore. They were very curious and
came miles to see Compere simply be-
cause he was white.
The owner of the boat in which Com
pere had journeyed would not tie his
boat to the river bank at night because
he knew that he would be killed by
Chinese thieves who wished to get the
boat. and he anchored nightly in the
middle of the river. The travelled
orange trees were taken ashore and
were carried by two men many more
miles by land. There the purple scale
exterminator finally made its home in
the imported trees.
Once more the trees were picked up
and laboriously carried by hand by
two coolies to the river. The trees
were shipped by Compere, and he ac-
eompanied them to the sea. Then they
were put after a time on a steamship
for San Francisco, and they reached
that port simultaneously with Com
pere, having journeyed 1900 miles by
sea, some hundreds of miles by river |
and as many more hundreds by land.
From now on the trees will be watch |
ed with daily and constant care. If |
the purple scale parasites on them de |
velop and live the problem of relief to |
southern California orchards will have |
been solved If they fail to fulfill ex-
pectations. then n second journey to |
China will be necessary. The search |
will be kept up as long as the pest |
exists.