Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-08
nae Fruit enemies and Law.

dustry.
The Fruit Enemies and Law.
California is no longer exempt from the
ravages of insects that do injury to fruit
trees and fruit. The fact that we were
not troubled with any of these insects for
a period of years after fruit growing was
introduced, led many to hope and believe
that our climate was unfavorable to the
propagation and spread of such insects. A
moments reflection, however, would or
should have taught US that this hope and
belief was not well founded, for it is almost
a universal rule Of nature that mild and
equitable climate Is much more favorable
for all animal and insect life than one sub
iect to great extremes. Wehave compare
lively 10 winter here, and but very few
destructive storms of any kind at the time
of year when insects are Matching or under
going any of their changes. These facts
should have taught us to have come to di-
rectly opposite conclusions. The ex-
perience of the past few years has
most effsctually revolutionized our
previous opinions on this subject.
The insects have come among us, and have
already spread nearly all over the State.
Just what we might have expected has also
been proved-that our climate is one of the
most favorable for their life and propaga.
ton The codling moth, which in most
other countries goes through but one gen.
Grafton in year. is found here to pass
through three in single season. The scale
insects, too, have long period in each
summer to multiply and increase, and hence
we find them spreading very rapidly
wherever they have made their appearance.
1t often happens in cold countries, subject
to great and violent changes in tempera-
ture, that in the spring of the year, when
insects are Matching and going through
their delicate transit rmations, whole gen.
erations are destroyed in q single change OF
the weather or during a violent storm.
Then again, when such a season occurs as
Is now being experienced in the Atlantic
States-a severe cold spell with but
little snow i it often happens that
the entire Larvae Of different classes
of insects are frozen and destroyed,
and the orchards are freed from the raw
ages Of these insects thereafter for years,
and until, by slow degrees, they have again
accumulated in sufficient numbers to be-
come formidable We cannot expect any
of these occurrences in this climate. They
will not come to our aid in this manner.
Nature here is on the side of our enemies,
and what is done here to get rid of these
orchard pests has got to be done by our
selves This fact once recognized fully
and half the battle is won, for it IS a fact
that when we are depending upon nature,
or upon any other instrumentality to per-
form any particular work, we are most sure
not to do it ourselves even though we are
to receive the benefits arising from such
performance. There is not the least doubt
that we can overcome the enemies that are
now doing SC much damage In our orchards
if we once make up our minds
that they will not be destroyed
by the operations of nature, and
that no other cause is likely to inter
pose in our behalf Ii there were but one
orchard in the State and this was owned
by single person, would he, if he were a
good business man, hesitate to take imme-
date steps to free it of all codling- moths
and other insects that were doing it injury
and curtaling his profits? Now, so far as
the State is concerned, there is but one
orchard, and this one orchard belongs to
the State. 1t is the States interest to pro-
tect this orchard from destruction that she
may receive the benefits arising out of its
successful annual eroppisgs. The State
has but to say that the injurious insects
II ust go-and to provide the machinery to
make them go-and the people will see
that the machinery is put in motion
and kept in motion till they are
gone. We all have interest in pre-
serving the fruit industries, but all we
need is some organization by which all can
work in harmony, and through which we
can bring the work to bear on all the fruit
trees in the State. Without organization,
and without we can make battle all along
the line there is but little inducement to
do anything, for the very plain reason that
what is done at single point will do but
little good and will require to be done
over again three times in a year. Let a
law be passed authorizing the appointment
by some competent authority-the Boards
of Supervisors of each county, for in
stance-of an Orchard Inspector in each
Supervisor district, or in each township.
Clothe this Inspector with authority tC
inspect the orchards within his iurisdic.
ton, and in case he finds the codling moth
in the same to notify the owner to
use certain specified precautions wash
ing the trees with fish soap and sulphur,
tying bands about the stems, etc. Let the
penalty for non-performance Of these
things be the condemnation and deStruc'
ton of the orchard. Let there be some
appellate authority also, to whom appeal
can be had in case the owner OF the orchard
shall feel that he is aggrieved by the In
spector or that an error has been com.
mitted, and we think all the necessary
machinery for getting rid of the insects
will be had. When such law is enacted
there will be some inducement to bring
before the public and into general use spe
cities to kill and destroy the pests that are
now doing us SO much injury. The enact
ment of the law and the appointment o
Inspectors to execute it will of itself wake
the people up to the subject, and tend t.
hiring about the desired result