This section is from the book "The Gardener's Monthly And Horticulturist V28", by Thomas Meehan. See also: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.
The inclosed "slip" was sent to me by some person unknown, mailed at Virginia City, Nevada, March, 1886, without note or comment. I have known the insect referred to for forty years at least in this county and other parts of Pennsylvania, but never saw it abundant, except upon one occasion; but a few are present here and there every summer.
The occasion I refer to occurred about thirty years ago, when the silver maple, linden, grapevines, etc., were severely infested by a scale insect, known as the "Maple cotton scale," (Pul-vinaria innumerabilis). A maple tree then standing - and still standing - immediately in front of my own door, on N. Queen street, had a multitude of the scales upon it, mainly attached to the undersides of the smaller branches and the leaves. There were also present in abundance the Chilo-chorus bivulnerus - the larva, the pupa and the imago - but it did not require a microscope to detect them slaughtering the " scale." They belong to the family Coccinellidae, or lady-birds: very convexed; shining black color, with a large blood-red spot on each wing-cover, and the largest specimens are fully a quarter of an inch long. They underwent their transformations in groups of ten or twenty, on the trunks of the trees. From the fact that they were obtained in Florida, in the case referred to, taken to San Diego, California, and from thence to Nevada, and also that they have been long known in Pennsylvania, New York, Canada, Missouri and other Western States, their cosmopolitan character may be approximated.
The following year my maple tree had very few of the scale insects on it, and none of the lady-birds that I could discover.
The fact is, they are ravenous feeders, and I presume only visit such places in great number where there exists a redundancy of food. I noticed this phenomena also some years ago when our oat fields were infested by the "oat-aphis," (Aphis avena). Half a dozen species of Coc-cinellan were also present in very large numbers, and both the imago and the larva continued their slaughter from morning until night, and the year following there were but few "oat-aphis." I have thought these facts may be of some importance to those concerned, and hence ought to be widely extended.
"Last Saturday, says the Fresno Expositor, Mr. J. H. Sewell, of the Central Colony, received a small lot of bugs from his son-in-law, William B. Atwater, of National City, San Diego county. The first of these species were imported to San Diego from Florida, and turned loose to prey upon the scale insects infesting an orange orchard near that city. They proved such prolific breeders and waged such incessant war upon the scale as to almost completely rid a ten-acre orchard of the presence of that much dreaded pest in a single season. Mr. Sewell's daughter wrote to him inquiring in regard to the prevalence of scale in his orchard near this city, and suggested the introduction of these little parasites as an infallible remedy. The bugs Mr. Sewell received came by mail in a little tin cap box, and he immediately placed them on a peach tree upon which the scale was quite noticeable. He watched their movements with a magnifying glass, and says that it was surprising to see the little bug-ers get down to work at once.
No injurious effect has been noticed either to trees or fruit where they have been employed at San Diego, and it is confidently claimed that the mission of these little bugs is simply to prey upon and destroy the pests that now assail the orchards of California.
"The Secretary of the Board of Horticultural Commissioners visited Mr. Sewell's place on Wednesday and reports as follows: The scale destroyer in the orchard of Mr. Sewell in Central Colony, is one of the ravenous species of lady bug - all ravenous destroyers of the scale insect. It is the "twice stabbed" species, or Chilochorus bivulnerus, and is able to keep at a good square meal all day long when the sun shines warm. Its larvae is also a voracious eater. It does not eat vegetable matter, but in addition to the scale also devours all species of aphis, and bark lice of every description. It is a most useful insect, and has done great good in many regions where it abounds, and we are glad of its introduction here. An inspection shows that he has gone to work, is very 'much at home, and is growing fat. We should like to see him multiplied several myriads in our orchards, and hope our glorious climate and prolific soil will increase his appetite and productions a thousand fold." Lancaster, Pa.
[It may be of some interest to note that "when we were boys," these useful and beautiful little creatures were known as " Lady birds." It is pleasant to remember how " we children " used to get them on a straw and invoke, " Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home, your house is on fire," etc, by which time the creature, having reached the top of the straw, was to our great pleasure, ready to obey the summons. But the solemn visaged man of science has insisted that it is not "a bird" but quite another thing, and that we must say "Lady-bug." But they are not to have it wholly their own way, for Prof. Riley insists that it is not a bug but a "beetle".
"Us boys" are glad to see the Professors at loggerheads; but unfortunately "Lady beetle, lady beetle," will not work well into our old rhyme; and moreover, as boys will be boys, we don't like to have the dear " Ladies " associated in our minds with bugs, beetles, and all such nasty things. If not "birds," and they are to be associated with anything that has wings, let it be the angels. - Ed. G. M].
 
Continue to: