Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-03-25
MANY TREES INFESTED
San Jose Scale Working Havoc in
North Part Of Village
inspection by State Officials was Made
Yesterday Afternoon-Prompt and Rad
ical Measures Must be Used.

Inspection by State Officials was Made
Yesterday Afternoon-Prompt and Rad
ieal Measures Must be Used.
0. L. Martin of Plainfeld, state COM
missioner of agriculture, and Prof. NJ. B.
Cummings of Burlington, state nursery
inspector, came to Brattleboro yesterday
afternoon on the 2.07 train from the north
and spent the time until dark in a care
ful investigation of the infestation of San
Jose scale in the north part of the village.
1t Will be recalled that at the time Of
the state forestry meeting last December,
| Commissioner Martin announced that he
| had found the dreaded pest on the old
Wliston homestead at the corner of Lin
den and Williston streets, with a prOba-
| bility that 1t would be found on other
| premises in the vicinity.
Yesterdays inspection showed that the
| infestatiOn is much more serious and
| more extended than had been supposed.
| 1t covers nearly the whole section on
! both sides Of North Main street, along
| Linden street and the fruit trees on the
property bordering both sides of Willis
| ton and Chaplin streets. The inspection
! began at Dr. G. s Pratts, where a cherry
! tree was found completely incrustei with
| the scale and rose bushes and grape vines
were also infested. a similar infesta-
ton was found in the rear of the Thomp-
| son place. on the Goodhue premises
| across the street a long row of currant
| bushes is so completely covered with the
! scale that the busehes are worthless and
will have to be pulled up and destroyed.
| Borders Of rose bushes on the same estate
| are also infested. One of the worst cases
/ was found on the premises of Mrs. Kirk
| land at the corner Of North Main and
Walnut streets. Here two English Haw-
thorne trees are completely incrusted with
the scale, Several stands Of shrubbery
are also infested and some old apple trees
are nearly dead from the ravages Of the
scale.
The Winiston premises. now owned by
! Prof Wuliston Walker and occupied by
him a summer home were next visited.
The scale was found here as already
stated but the fruit trees are for the most
part young and can probably be saved by
! prompt and careful attention. The cur
ran; bushes on these premises which are
also infested will doubtless have to be
uprOoted and destroyed. a thrifty young
tree on Mrs. Browns place just in the
rear is somewhat affected, but doubtless
1t can be saved. 1t seems like u curious
fact that, while growth of thrifty young
fruit trees at the rear Of Walter A. Gil
berts place on Wiiston street do not
show any signs of the scale, a single
J old growth apple tree on J""ge ]. NJ ~
( infected tha' Worthless and
will hs. -. Some very old
ana bad. ices on the Wilder
property n, y..re also infested. Two
| or I'M te yours lrult Trees on JOnn hOeSS
place will require very careful attention
! II they are to be saved. On the opposite
side Of the street peach trees and cur
rant bushes belonging to Miss Fox are
covered with the scale and are dead or
| nearly so from its raVages. A very large
apple tree close by belonging to Mrs.
Mack is also infested as are several fruit
trees belonging to c. g. Fits on land re-
Gently bought by him of l.. W. Hawley
! At least one tree in the rear of J. E.
Halls place is past saving.
The strange way in which the pest
;, | appears upon certain trees while not
. attacking others close by is illustrated
on the premises of c. w. Wilcox on Cha
@ pin street Here a thrifty young fruit
n tree standing in a circle of Shrubbery is
completely covered with the scale and is
past saving. while other trees nearby do
II not show the infestation. The axe and
"A bonfire will be the only remedy for sew
eral small trees on Charles o. Robbins s
90 place and long rows Of currant bushes
: belonging to Judge ]. L. Martin and Mrs.
l. Joseph Draper will have to be uprOoted
Il, and destroyed. For the most part the old
n | apple trees have escaped, but an eXcep-
!. | tion is found on J. c. Howes place,
o i where the tops Of three old trees which
a saw their best days many years ago are
= badly incrusted with the scale. An old
tree in the rear of the Aldrich place on
Il North Main street is in the same con-
y dition, and two plum trees on S. w. Kim
/
taton was also found on fruit trees in
the rear of j. Harry Esteys place or
=" North Main street. The currant bushes
80 on Col, Haskins's premises on Terrace
7o street will have TO go the same way as
others which have been mentioned. Com.
lie missioner Martin and Professor Cum
mings are very urgent in saying that II
- all these cases prompt and radical meas
ures should be taken to destroy the pes
s. and prevent its spread. In the case q
p the older trees the only safe remedy is L
is cut them down and burn them. Othe
trees not so badly infested may possihl,
g be saved by careful pruning and thorough
s. | spraying. Every property owner wh'
Id was seen expressed readiness to us
whatever means were thought necessar,
no to destroy the pest. George r. Bishop
~ the tree warden, accompanied Mr. Mar
I tin and Prof. Cummings on their tour o
~ inspection. It is a matter of course tina
-. no individual owner has the necessar
Vi equipment for properly spraying his trees
~ and il was the opinion Of both Mr.. Mar
On tin and Prof. Cummings that the muc
more eXpedient and effective way woul
s., be for Mr.. Bishop to secure the use of
ro suitable power sprayer and with this I
Del do the whole work, dividing the cos
n among the owners of the infested tree
and shrubs In this way the expense {
mt each individual would be small.
yill There is no question that this wor
elk should be taken up at once for the spray
ew ing must be done before the trees com
into leaf Every property owner wher
ne the scale has appeared should confer a
raj once with Mr. Bishop so that some def
1ld mite and effective course may be agree
IS upon The situation, as it stands now,
ial a very serious one and unless the mo:
radical measures are taken it is only
20 question of a short time before the II
81 fection will spread to all parts OF II
"a village.
~ The San Jose scale has appeared
"a many places in Massachusetts, and Il
ru ar- situation is recognized as being so s,
'ho rious that the state board of agTicultul
-"e began a month ago TO give public d.
monstrations of the best methods
ed spraying in the infested areas all ov
AT the state.
OF Prof. Cummings and Mr. Bishop 4
Tn spected trees and shrubbery on His
zap street this morning and found infestatiI
me on the premises of DR.. o. s. Bowen al
MS 70. ]. Pratt and on the old Richards
Hy' homestead. 1t was also found on the r
treat and Bradley estates.
| l., .-f ,ga - gs,A ,I.,.,