The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-03-06
FIGHTING PLANT ENEMIES, 81.
BY CALIFORNIA EXPERTS

From w. S. Harwood's Saving Cal
ifornia's Fruit Crops" in the February
Century: A few months ago / saw in
an Office in the city of San Francisco
a little orange tree about to set out
upon what presume was the most re-
markable journey an orange tree ever
made. 1t was growing i'll a wooden
box, the whole tree being not mose than
four feet in height. 1t was to be in
closed in strong redwood case, with
openings to allow it breathing space
The little tree was bound for far
interior point in China. 1t would prob
ably spend three months on it's journey,
would stay some time in China, far from
the beaten paths of the tourists, and
then would begin its homeward journey
to San Francisco. Curiously enough,
the tree was starting out for. China to
be cured of disease. 1t, in, common
with a number of other California orr
ange trees. had broken out with a most
wretched affliction which was rapidly
destroying its glossy green leaves and
uniting it for service. The disease
took the form Of tiny insect or scale
growth called Depidosaphes Beckli, very
small in its individuals, but many in
the aggregate and very dangerous. In
fact. if the disease should not be check,
ed, it would be likely to do irreparable3
damage to. a great fruit industry. -
In China the tree would meet a man
who has made lifelong study of plant
disease and injurious insects. He,
spends his time travelling over =, the.
world searching for the foes of these
pernicious insects. He knows that
there is a foe for nearly every one,
and it is his business to find that foe
One month he may be in West Austral-
ia--whicb country helps to pay his
expenses-another month may see
him in Japan, or in India, or Spain. or
Siberia 1t is well-known fact that
while almost every insect pest has its
enemies, the enemies and the pest are
evenly matched where the conditions
When the balance is not maintained,
the pest gets the upper hand Then
comes the need of the searches of pest
foes. 1t is exceedingly difficult some
times to find the region of the world
where the foe exists. 1t was learned
IN a roundabout way, for example. that
in an interior Chinese province this
pest OF the California orange tree
lived side by side with a tiny insect
that was an enemy to t. The pest
and the destroying insect developed in
about equal numbers, so that the balance
was preserved and the pest did no harm.
The object in sending the little orange
tree on its long journey was to take it
into the locality where the pest and the
insect both live, allow the DESTROYING
insect to lay its eggs upon the leaves Of
the tree. as it always does when it finds
a place where its prey is living, send
the tree home again with the eggs Of
the foe upon it, hatch them out In San
francisco, and then send the spitefuI
little insect out into the infected orange
regions to destroy the pest that threat
ems the orange industry.
This is an Illustration Of the f,1nc
tions of a remarkable enterprise. now
being carried on under the supervision
of the California commissioner of llor-
ticulture. The way has now been open-
ed for a revolution III the methods Of
insect pest treatment The. commission.
which is state board, has been quietly
at work upon the problem for ten years.
II has demonstrated by actual tests that
the only permanently successful way
OF combating pests IN plants, whether
fruit trees. vegetables. or grains, IS
either to stamp out the disease alto
gsther, usually practical inpossibility,
gor TO introduce into the region where
the pest exists its natural foe. The
balance Of nature is absolute. The mo-
ment an insect pest gets iii the ascend
arlcy and begins to de a destroyer, this
balance IS disturbed. and at that mo-
nient, if possible. the foe should be all
hand. II is sure to exist somewhere
natures provision against overpro-