Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1895 — Australian Ladybirds. [ARTICLE]

Australian Ladybirds.

The State Board of Horticulture is sending to various Coast counties colonies of ladybirds,the natural enemies of the black scale and other parasites that attack fruit trees. The ladybirds are placed upon soft moss in small round boxes, which are sent through the mail. Fifty are placed in each box and about 500 boxes will be sont out These ladybirds are the descendants of ten obtained by the Board from Australia about, three years ago- They perform very effective work and have been very beneficial to various orchards throughout the State. Tens of thousands of them have been propagated in the office of the Commission, and the gentlemen, in charge of these insects, who have seen eighty-five generations wax fat in the glass jars in which they are kept, feel like patriarchs whenevet they look at the little red beetles.