Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-11-13

AT recent meeting OF the Penn3yl-
vania State Horticultural Society, State
Zoologist II. A. Surface. announced
that he had discovered and was propa:
eating and dissenina ting a parasite of
the San Jose scale, which is effectively
and entirely cleaning up the pest
throughout entire counties in Pennsyi,
vania. For some time he and bis or.
chard inspectors have been working on
this subject and it was not until he
was certain of every important detail
that the announcement was made.
This effective parasite of the scale,
which has done more than all the com.
bined spray washes could accomplish,
is very minute wasplike insect, SO
small as scarcely to be eeen by the I'M
aided eye. 1t is in fact not as large as
the comma used in ordinary newspaper
print, and being light amber in color is
not readily seen, even by those who are
looking closely for it; but with mis-
croscope one can observe that the old
scales of the San Jose scale are perfor-
ated, or full of holes, through which
the parasite escaped after having de-
stroYed the host. 1t is an internal
parasite, feeding as larva inside of
the soft body of the San Jose scale
This, of course, kills the scale. and the
parasite remains beneath the shell and
transforms to chrysalis or pupa, and
later changes to four-winged wasp
like insect belonging to the entomology
cal order known as Hymenoptera. 1t
then gnaws its way through the shell,
coming out near the top, leaving the
holes which show plainly that it is pres
ent and engaged in the very common
dable work of cleaning up the worst
fruit pest that America has ever known.
Although this parasite is so small as
scarcely to be seen by the unaided eye,
it is so numerous and so effective that
it has entirely cleaned up the scale over
several counties in the southeastern
portion of Pennsylvania, and entire or
chards that were badly infested year
or two ago are now clean. while nur-
series that had SO much scale that they
could not obtain State license for
selling trees year ago, are now SO
clean. from the results of this parasite,
that no live scale whatever can be
found in them, and they are consequent
ly authorized to sell and ship their trees
without fumigation. Even neglected
or seeding trees growing in isolated
places may show considerable San Jose
scale on the growth of last year and
previous years, and have absolutely
none alive on the new growth of twig
or fruit formed this year. This has
been observed carefully not only by
Professor Surface, but also by the in.
spectors, such as Mr.. Pierce, of York
and Adams counties: Mr.. Bowers, of
Lancaster and Adams counties; Mr..
Windle of Chester county; Prof. Grim,
of Berks county, and others.
Professor Surface has taken adyan-
tage of the opportunity to gather speci-
mems of parasitized scales from differ
emit parts of the State and keep them
in small cages to rear the parasites, of
which he has obtained specimens for
study and reference, and which he has
photographed together with the scales
perforated by them. Prof. ]. s. Grim,
of the Kutztown State Normal School,
who during the summer was member
Of the inspecting force, has also reared
and photographed them.