Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-03
Projection in Earnest.

by Act Of Congress, Of all manner Of
industries, among which tho fruit inter
est is prominent for aid in demanding a
tariff on all fruits from foreign rorts
that can be produced in our land
It is most natural that such shonld be
desired It is matter of self-interest,
and that is desire common to all. But
there is still greater need for protection
from the newly discovered insects that
will sweep our orchards from the fucc of
tho earth. unless they are destroyed
with promptness and thoroughness. Our
orchardlsts must arouse Themselves aud
make common cause against these new
found enemies of our fruit crops.
California is fortunate in having a
horticultural Commission that seems to
be in earnest in attempting to extirpate
these dreadful pests, that are worse
than free trade to our orchards. DIR. +.
s. Chaplin, the President Of the Commits
sion, is very diligent in attempting to
rid the State Of the Goblin moth and the
cottony cushion scale. The history Of
the Introduction of the deadly Goblin
moth is thus described by DR.. Chaplin:
"In 1879 few apples were brought
TO the State Fair at Sacramento from
the East and they were placed beside
the California fruit IN order that compari-
sons could be made in the interest Of
true nomenclature. Mr.. Reed, of Yolo
county, took some to his orchard with
instructions to destroy the fruit when
the. comparisons he desired to make
there were completed, but the fruit was
not destroyed and the next year he had
the first Goblin moth in the State. His
orchard has not been clear since, and
from this point it has spread to all fruit
sections Of the State. Santa Paula.
Ventura county, and Riverside, San Ber-
nardino county, were the only valleys he
knew where the apple trees were free
from the rayages Of the moth. There
were plenty of moths in the San Ber-
nardino valley, however, that should be
looked after.
The moth lays its eggs in the fruit
and dies; the larvae hatches and eats its
way to the center Of the fruit; it then
leaves the fruit and drops to the ground;
it then crawls to some good place for
concealment, where it matches into a
moth and is ready for work again. This
operation is repeated in this country
three times a year. If all the fruit
could be destroyed there would be no
place to deposit the egg where it could
hatch and develop the larvae, and thus
the insect must necessarily disappear.
This terrible spread in four years over
country 500 miles in length should be
warning of the terrible power of this
little enemy, "that walketh in darkness
and wasteth at monday" II unchecked
it will destroy our orchards and bank
rupt our orchardists. 1t now extends
from Yolo county to Paradise valley, in
San Diego, and while in the Atlantic
States it raises but two broods annually,
in California it produces three broods.
1t attacks apples, pears, peaches.
plums and apricots, and if forced
will attack citrus fruits. This little ene-
my can destroy million dollars worth
of frnit without noise, or so much as the
shaking of leaf. 1t is noiseless as the
germs Of fever floating in the air, and
deadly as the plague. The people Of Los
Angeles city and county must awake
and protect themselves from this COM
mon enemy.
In an address at San Diego, DR.. Cha
pin said;
Many got discouraged in lighting scale
insects, but he was hopeful. He went
to San Jose and located in a very hot
bed Of scale insects; and the battle had
been fought there and victory won; he
did not longer fear the San jose scale,
for be knew it could be conquered. The
San Jose scale was so bad three years
ago that it would entirely hide the bark;
it killed the tree and destroyed the crop.
A new orchard can be easily kept clean
there, even with the scale in neighbor-
ing orchards. Three years ago some or
chards were offered for sale at avery low
price; now they sell readily at high
figure and are very profitable.
The cottony cushion scale had taken
possession OF three orchards in Santa
Barbara county. This scale was inn
ported from Australia several years
ago by resident of Santa Barbara.
Some Of the trees. were shipped to Los
Angeles, some to Santa Barbara,
and others were left in San Francisco.
The insect had spread over San Jose
and other parts of Central Cali
fornia, and in Santa Barbara county
some of the infected orchards were
ruined so that the ground would be
more valuable if the trees were cleared
off and burned. Some OF the trees are
already dead and others are dying. 1t
was carried to San Gabriel from Los
Angeles on a potted plant, and il is
now found in six orchards in that val
ley. 1t is difficult to kill the scale in
sect on evergreen trees without de-
stroying the foliage. The most success
full wash he had yet discovered was p
gallons Of water, one pound of concen-
trated lye, and 1 gallon Of whale oil
boiled to a soap, then add as much
sulphur, and to this add very strong
decoction of tobacco to the extent Of
II gallons. The tobacco caa be raised
if large quantities are needed for use.
Apply this solution at temperature
of $50 degrees as it leaves the nozzle.
This must be put ON the trees in q
coarse spray, as the solution is too
thick to pass freely through the San
Jose manifold spray nozzle.
In the San Gabriel Valley active work
has been commenced to rid the orchards
of the two special pests mentioned,
which have appeared in half dozen
places. In San Diego the people have
takes hold in earnest, and at public
meeting appointed committee Of safety
that recommended the following heroic
measures to get rid of these insects. We
recommend the entire destruction Of
the next crop Of apples, pears. ounces,
Immediately after its formation, in all
the infected orchards and all others
within one mile or such further distance
as safety may be deemed to require.
The people Of Pasadena and San Ca
briel have signed pledge TO pay an
assessment Of FIVE cents per tree, if nee.
essary, to assist in exterminating this
enemy which means the prosperity
of the country. A hundred thousand
trees are pledged, at five cents tax,
each at a single meeting, amounting to
5000 to slear the deadly enemy out Of
the San Gabriel valley. This is begin
ming none too soon. 1t will not cost
half as much to clear the orchards this
year as it will next year. Every orch
ardist should enter into this matter with
enthusiasm. As the orchards increase
SO increases the danger in magnitude
and the difficulty Of getting rid Of these
horrible enemies.