The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-05-20


Zoology Department of Agricul.
ture. By H. A. Surface, State
Zoologist, Harrisburg, Pa.
ASK THE PROFESSOR QUESTIONS.
Any of the readers of this paper
desiring information in regard to
the enemies and diseases of fruit
trees, or other plants of the garden
and farm, should write at once to
Prof II. A. Surface, State Zoolo-
gist, Harrisburg, Pa, who takes
pleasure in answering questions on
such matters.
Professor Surface is daily in re-
ceipt of letters from all over the
State, which cover a wide range of
subjects, from spraying for the de-
struction of San Jose scale and
oyster shell bark louse to the rid
ding of cellars of rats and mice \
case III point may be mentioned:
a physician wrote to inquire
whether or not camphor is the
best preventative of moths in cases
containing clothing - As this is
the season of the year when winter
clothing is being put away until
needed again, and housekeepers
want to know how to keep the
moths from destroying the same,
the Professors answer is apropos.
He replied as follows:
TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM MOTH.
"As preventative of moths in
cases containing clothing, there is
nothing like making the cases in
which they are packed so tight
that the moth can not enter to lay
her eggs, from which eggs the
larvae come. l prefer naphthaline
balls to camphor, but if the gar
ments are wrapped in newspapers
and put into protected case and
this sealed with strips of paper
pasted over the cracks at every
possible point of entry, to keep out
the moths, there will be no danger
Of the moths developing. Camphor
Or naphthaline balls can be used in
the packages also, but these alone
will not prevent the occurrence of
he moths, nor destroy the moth
larvae after they have entered.
The chief point in protecting fab
rics from destruction by moths is
20 keep them in vessel where the
little winged moth can Il enter to
lay its eggs. An aid to this is the
use of some substance ike the balls
lbove mentioned, which act as
fepellant. After the clothing is
attacked destroy the pests at once
oy fumigating with bisulfde of
carbon.
The State Zoologist of Pennsyl-
'ania recommends one pound of
his liquid to each 100 cubic feet
If space, either sprinkled on cloth
pr poured into shallow vessels plac-
d on it.
SCALE ON HEDGE FENCES.
Usage orange hedges in some
,ections of the State have become
% infested with San Jose scale, ac-
,ording to information received by
he Division of Economic Zoology
If the State Department of Agri-
:ulture that they are proving a ser
Gus menace to the fruit trees of
be respective localities in which
he insect has thus appeared.
These hedge fences seem to be
egular breeding or lurking places
# the scale, especially when the
hedges are given but little atten-
ion in the way of pruning.
To hold the scale in control on
uch fences, it would be we'll to
rune the hedges back or cut them
ow, and spray them thoroughly
nth boiled lime -sulfur wash. This
an De done at almost any time for
ais kind of hedge.
When the Usage orange fence is
dlowed to grow tall and rank it
'ecomes one of the worst of nui-
Ances. The danger lies in the
likelihood of the scale spreading to
djacent fruit trees There is little
'ossibility of it attacking trees of
sTATIs nI5 flrIrn NysrU