Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-23
INSECT PESTS AND FRUIT.
Notes of an Official "trip of the Chief
Horticultural officer.


Matthew Cooke, Chief Horticultural OFF,
Ger. has just returned from an official trip to
the southern part of the State. On the 9TH
instant he attended the organization Of the
Los Angeles County Board of Agricultural
Commissioners. The personnel Of the Los
/ Angeles Beard, ne says, is second to none in
the State, and its members are determined to
effect, in the interests of the fruit industry,
all that can be done By the most active efforts.
From Les Angeles Mr.. Cooke went to San
Bernardino county and attended meeting OF
the fruit growers Of Riverside. This place.
| he states, for the growing OF citrus fruits, Is
! the garden of the Pacific coast, and probably
of the United States. The locality
is free from insect pests of alla kinds
in both citrus or deciduous trees
and vines. As a proof of the Importance to
which this locality has risen for frult-grow-
| ing. hs states that the land planted to citrus
| trees. which are coming into bearing this
year, sells readily at 81, eco per acre. There
are about 10000 acres in the colony alto
gether. for which there is ample water with
present facilities to irrigate. The land, bs-
fore irrigation and cultivation Is applied, pre-
sents a worthless, desert appearance, COM
] pb5tQ VI sdLo e%hA 5AeF|1t
whatever growing upon it. When brought
under cultivation all varieties of citrus and
| most kinds of deci iuous fruits glow most pro-
| life, and also grapes.
| The town of Riverside proper is situated
six miles from Cotton, on the Southern Pa
cific Railroad, but the settlement, through the
extension of Arlington avenue, Is about
thirteen miles. at present the orchards,
which have become celebrated, extend only a
distance of four miles. This avenue has o
! fine row of pepper trees in the center, planted
! thick, in hedge like manner, and are now
from sixteen to twenty feet high. A fine
driveway is upon either side, and facing upon
| these are lots varying in size from ten to
forty acres, and upon which are built mag.
nificent private residences. The place is, as to
| industry. exclusively devoted to the cultiva-
tion of citrus and deciduous fruits and grapes.
| The cultivation of all the orchards is excel
lent, both on this avenue and at Riverside
proper, but among the most prominent are
those of MIR. White. Mr. Bettner. Mr.
| Covert. DIR. Magee, Mr.. Ames and Mr.. Cold
well, all of whom have forty-acre tracts. Mr..
Cooke says that probably at no other place in
the United States is there to be found such
| thorough cultivation by the entire community
as at Riverside The people are wide awake
to prevent the introduction of the insect enc.
mics, of which they are fortunately still free.
The other portions of San Berhsrdino county
visited by Mr. Cooke ere also free from pests,
except in one orchard, where it was found
that the codlipg moth had made its appear
| ance.
In the vicinity of Tustin City and Santa
| Ana. in Los Angeles county, the citrus in
dustry is progressing favorably, and grape
planting is being extended very rapidly. At
| this place the black scale is found quite ex-
tensively. and in one orchard the red scale
was also discovered but the people ore organ
lied against them, and effective work will be
done the coming season to get clear OF their
presence. At Los Angeles the premises
known as the Keller orchard was visited,
where the red scale has been found upon q
number of grapevines which stood adjoining
some lemon trees that are infested Red
| scale was also found in limited numbers upon
q walnut tree in the same orchard. In one
orchard the white cottony cushion scale was
found
On the 10th inst. meeting of the fruit
growers of Los Angeles county was held at
| Los Angeles, at which all parts of the county
interested were fully represented At this
meeting parties were appointed from all the
! fruit-growing districts of the county TO in
spect the orchards iu their respective dis
tricts, and report their condition to the
| County Board of Horticultural Commission
although the county has been slow to organ.
ize under the State la@, it is now determined
toibe one of the foremost in acquiring the
utmost advantages to be derived from the
NEST vigorous prosecution of the insect war.
Mr., Cooke next visited San Gabriel, and
went among the orchards in that locality in.
tested with the red scale. Mr.. Chapman at
this place has demonstrated beyond doubt
that the red scale can be effectively exter-
! L. g lc,E h. IL
stroyed at least ninety per cent. of these
upon his premises This was done by thin
ming out the tops of the trees and applying
washes of refuse soap, lye, etc, in accord
ance with the best known remedies. While
at this place Mr. Rose being absent, Mr..
Cooke was requested by Mr.. Chapman to ex-
anime the vines and cuttings in the vineyard
of Mr. Rose, which were reported to be in
tested with red scale. Several hours were
spent in the vineyard-whieh covers 610
acres-and he was unable to find any trace
whatever ST red scale upon the premises.
At Bakersfield, Kern county, although the
orchard interests are still small in that sec.
ton, very active measures are in progress tc
prevent damages from the insect world: The
insects found in Kern county are the cedline
moth, red spider and the woody aphis. The
fruit-growers there have determined to make
application to the Board of Supervisors fol
the appointment OF Horticultural Commits
sion for the county at their next meeting
which, it is thought, will be promptly
granted.
At Fresno the codling moth and tat
"San Jose" scale were found to q Limited
extent. A petition will be presented in thi
(Fresno) county also at the next meeting O
lis Board of Supervisors, which takes pact
early next month, for local Horticultural
Commis sion.
During his absence the Chief Horticulture
Officer made arrangements for the appoint
ment of local inspectors throughout The
southern part of the State under the quaran
tine laws. He returned greatly encouraged
at the prospect of most successful work on tht
part Of the fruit growers in that portion o.
the State in effectively overcoming the raw.
ages and dangers of insects injurious to fruit
at an early day.
A ASArIsFAcToRY ExcUsE.-The reason why
a certain couple did not bring their portion O.
the necessary eatables to make merry sur
prise party which they attended last week
has been satisfactorily explained. They
started to out-do all the others of the sur
prisers who should attend, in the way Of
bringing to the rescue an enormous and fine
cake. They had procured the largest and
best that an order could procure at Fishers,
and took the street car for upper o street
last Wednesday evening. By an unlucky
accident the car ran off the track, and tC
assist out of the difficult situation the young
man bound for the surprise laid his cake dowr
on the seat while he went to the front
end guided the lines, to let the driver get of
and push the car back. Just as they had got
nicely back on the track, and while the young
man still held the ribbons several passengers
entered the csr, and among them portlJ
colored woman, who enjoys the sunny side OF
three hundred pounds. She probably did moi
intend to sit down on the cake, bat the horse
started, as strest-car horses always viii, jus.
in time to seat, in somebody's lap, the passen.
gers who happen to be standing up, and thus
by one of these premature starts the portiy
colored lady sat down in the wrong place
When the passengers had recovered from the
effects of the jerky start and got off from
each Others toes, and out of each others
laps, the dusky passenger gathered herself ur
blushipgly, and all that was lett Of the cake
was pulverizad mass of frosting and pastry,
which occupied a circular position about two
feet and half 10 diameter on the rear side Of
her dress, and taking all the surprise out OF
the cake That's the reason why this young
couple failed to bring any reffeshments.
CoMMERcIAL.-There have arrived since
last report steamer San Joaquin No. 2, from
San francisco, with general merchandise
steamer San Joaquin No. 8, from upper Sac