The newspaper., 1909-10-15
San Jose Scale.
BY C. p. GILLETTE

Jose Scale.
This insect has been unknown in
Colorado until last spring, when Mr.
Whipple, Field Horticultural of the
State Fruit Investigation of the Ag-
ricultural Experiment station, dis
covered it in two adjacent orchards.
A few trees were badly infested and
several others were found to have a
few scales.
The owners were told to thor
oughly spray their entire orchards
with home made lime sulfur mixture,
and Mr.. George p. Weldon, our Field
Entomologist, acted with the county
inspector, Mr.. A. b. Hoyt, to see
that the orchards were properly
treated. The owners responded
promptly and gave their orchards "a
very thorough treatment and appar-
emily with perfect results.
1t was thought best not to publish
this discovery until further infesta-
ton should be found 1t is only
necessary now to call the attention
of our orchardists to the fact that
this dreaded pest has made its ap-
pearance in Colorado and ask all to
be on the watch for it, to notify
promptly their horticultural inspect
ors, or Mr.. George 7. Weldon, Grand
Junction, or this Office, Of anything
they suspect to be scale in their or
chards, and to insist upon a thor
ough enforcement OF our inspection
law, in order to prevent further in
PRODUCTION and spread OF this scale
or other pests. 4 close inspection of
the infested orchards and other or
chards in the neighborhood has been
kept.
To the present time, Mr.. Weldon
has found eight additional orchards
that are lightly infested with this
scale in the immediate vicinity of the
two that were fret discovered. While
this spreading must have taken
place prior to this year 1t warns us
that we shall have to be prompt in
our efforts to stop it. The men own
ing these orchards and their neigh
bors know the conditions. and every
effort will be made to stamp out the
evil before il spreads farther. but to
succeed I'm this the State Entomolo-
gist and inspectors must have the
support of the fruit growers in the
enforcement of the law.
September and October is the best
time of the year to detect the scale.
Look closely for small red specks or
blotches about one-eighth OF aninch.
more or less. in diameter. upon fruit
and leaves of the trees. At the cen
ter of the red spot there will be
small grayish to almost black object
not as large a. an ordinary pin head
unless fully grown. This central OBJ
ject. II removed with a pin or kniic.
will expose beneath the plump yellow
body of the louise. The red spots
also occur upon the smooth bark of
twigs and even large limbs. II the
spots are due to San Jose Scale, the
inner bark Will he mottled with
blood red. as may lie seen by shaving
off the outer bark with "A sharp knife.
Be quite sure that you have the
scale II you find these conditions. and
do not wait. but send samples at
once to Mr. Weldon. or the Expert
ment station for determination. and
we will do all we can to help you ont
of your trouble before it is too late.
Fruit growers associations and
all who purchase fruit should refuse
to accept any fruit suspected of hav-
ing scale upon it, and should notify
the proper authorities mt once OF sus-
pected iniestation.
Fire.-If trees are very badly In
tested il is sometimes best to cut and
burn them, yet after several careful
inspections of the worst infested
trees that were treated last spring,
both Mr.. Weldon and Inspector Hoyt
report that they are not able to find
n single living scale upon them. So
we have proof that even badly in
tested trees can be saved In Colorado
when thoroughly treated with lime
and sulfur. There seems to be more
danger that the scale will be contin-
ued upon slightly infested trees
where they are not noticed and