The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-01

causes the same to be done, shall be
liable to a fine of not less than twenty
| five (25c.) cents, and not more than
| five ($500) dollars for each package
upon which the marks have been so
altered effaced, or obliterated; and
| further,
| Every person, corporation or firm,
who shall be found guilty of having,
either personally or through the agen-
cy of others, wilfully mismarked
closed packages of apples as to capac-
ity of package, as described and pro-
vided for in this act, shall, upon con-
viction, be subjected to a fine of not
less than twenty-five (25c) cents, and
not more than five ($5.00) dollars for
each package so mismarked.
The person on whose behalf any
apples are packed, sold or offered for
sale, shall be prima facie liable for
the violation of this act.
Sec. 8. That any of the circuit
courts of the United States within
whose jurisdiction complaint as to
the violation of this act may be es-
tablished shall have power to enforce
this act.
Mr.. G. A. Warner, PrOsser, WASH,
under date of May 10, sends the fol-
lowing letter: about ten days ago
discovered a green worm about an
inch long which was living off the
green and black aphis. The worms
would. catch the aphids and suck or
extract their insides and then throw
the shell away, repeating the operation
again and again. They are now thick
| ly scattered over the peach trees. A
week ago our peach trees looked as
if fire had scorched them; now they
are putting out new leaves and the
older leaves are greatly improving.
| Wherever these wOrms-aphis para
sites-are I would advise the farmers
| not to spray their peach trees, for
| fear they may destroy the worms.
They may be the means of entirely de-
stroying the aphis. l am salts
| fed that they are strictly insect
! iverous and will not hurt the foliage
of the tree"
Mr.. Warner, 1 am informed, was at
| one time deputy fruit inspector for
Benton county and did good work.
wish to thank him for sending this no.
tice to The Ranch. 1t is wise thing
|
will enable us to control insect pests
or fungous diseases. This is something
new to me. There are insects that
live by eating aphids-the lady bird
for instance, but I have not before
heard of long green worm Destroy
ing aphids by eating them as food.
Some good people, who are not very
careful observers, think that ants eat
various kinds of aphids, but this is
known to be a mistake, for in some
cases they protect them rather than
destroy them. If this worm lives en-
tirely by eating the inside from aphids,
it would not be correct to call it
parasite. A parasite must live on
it's host, as we'll as derive nourish-
ment from it, There are parasites in
both the vegetable and animal king
doms. Webster's definition of an ami
NAL parasite is: can animal which
lives during the whole or part of it's
existence on the body of some other
animal, as lice, etc." But whether
it is a parasite or not is not so i'm
portant as the fact that it destroys
| the aphids.
1t is doubtful If spraying with any
thing that would destroy the aphids
would injure this worm. Aphids do
not eat anything, but live by sucking
the juices from the plants on which
they live. Spraying with poison will
not injure them. for they will not,
can not, eat it. Some sticky substance,
like soap suds or kerosene emulsion,
will stop their breathing instantly and
kill them. 1t is doubtful if such sprays
| I'M
One thing, however, is very certain,
and that is, if the worms destroy the
aphids, there will be no need of spray
| ;np IF n chou1d FINN ont thot tbic