Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-21
METEOROLOGICAL.
MEETING OF THE VITTCULTURAI
COMMISSIONERS AT FRESNO.
The Tariff on Raisins - Vineyard
Caterpiiiars - Army Worms
Black ScaIe-WoolIy APhis.


Commencing OH the 10th instant, Con
vention was held at Fresno of the vine
growers. The call for the Convention was
issued by Commissioner George West Of
the San Joaquin district The Convention
organized at the Opera-house, and adjourned
to visit the vineyards located between the
Southern Pacific Railroad and King river
The Barton, Fresno, Eisen, Egger and other
vineyards were visited and the party re-
turned to Fresno late in the evening On
the forenoon Of the 18th the vineyards OF
T. C. White, Miss Austin, Judge North and
others, located in the colonies were visited
The Commissioners present were President
Arpad HarasZthy, Commissioner at Large
Charles a WetmOre, Commissioner al
Large and Chief Viticultural Officer: Chas.
Krug, Commissioner of Napa District; !.
De Turk, Commissioner of Sonoma Dis
trict, and George West, Commissioner of
San Joaquin District.
Among the visitors were Mr.. Kohler, of
Kohler q Frohling, San Francisco; DR..
Stillman, of San Bernardino Mr.. Nc
Pherson, of Los Angeles Professor
Wickson, Of the Rural Press; Mr.. Ball,
of the Merchant; Professor Rising of the
State University Professor Pondorf, q. n.
Milco, Horticultural Commissioner, and
many others, all of whom were enthusi-
astic in expressing their pleasure at what
they had witnessed of the productiveness,
etc, of the Fresno vineyards and orchards.
The Convention was called to order at 2
o'clock P. NJ. The subject for discussion
was the raisin industry. The raisin
makers were well represented, and the dis
cussion in favor of an increased tariff on
foreign raisins was participated in by
Messrs. White, North and Miss Austin, of
Fresno, Mcpherson, of Los Angeles, DR..
Stillman, of San Bernardino, and others.
The question of tariff was referred to a
committee consisting of Messrs White,
Sullman and Mcpherson, to report TO the
Convention on the morning of the 18th
The committee at time designated reported,
stating as the sense of the raisin-growers
that the tariff on raiSins should be cents
per pound, as at the prices now received
for raisins of good quality less than %
cents per twentypound box was received
for the grapes used in making the raisins
The report of the committee was adopted
by the Convention, with only one vote Ia
free trader in the negative.
The afternoon and evening sessions were
devoted to discussion ON fermentation, va
rieties of grapes, best method of building
cellars, insect pests of the vine. etc. The
Convention adjourned at 11P.M
VINEYARD cATERPILLARs.
In visiting many of the VINEYARDS in the
vicinity of Fresno, the presence of the
caterpillar or Achemon Sphinx (Philam-
pelis ActenlOn) is readily detected, and
strenuous efforts are being made for their
determination. Some vine growers have
over fifty men taking them off the vines by
hand picking, and others are utilizing
turkeys by herding them in the VINEYARDS.
On Wednesday afternoon | was invited to
witness an experiment made by DR.. Eisen
of Fresno and Mr.. Milco of the Buhach
Manufacturing Company, at the Barton
vineyard, which contains over five hundred
acres of bearing vines. In some sections
OF this vineyard the caterpillars are present
IN immense numbers, especially on one
twenty-tour acre lot. Seven vines were Sc
lected and sprayed with a solution OF one
pound OF bubach to fifteen gallons of
water. The time occupied in spraying the
vines was seven minutes. Twenty minutes
after the spraying commenced the cater
pillars commenced to fall from the vines
in thirty minutes there were only three
living caterpillars found on the seven
vines, and in thirty-eight minutes all were
on the ground. The vines were carefully
examined by Mr.. Bartons foreman, who
gathered the caterpiHars and placed them in
a tin vessel, which was afterwards taken
TO Fresno and exhibited at the Convention.
The success of the experiment being made
known 10 Mr.. Barton he at once ordered
SIX doubie-spray pumps and a large guam
uty Of buhach 10 clean his vineyard. On
hIs return to the vineyard, late al night,
Mr.. Barton s foreman informed him that the
experiment was failure; that the cater
pillars that fell off had returned TO the |
vines, etc He therefore countermanded |
his order for pumps and material, and con- |
Guided TO continue the hand-piCking |
method OF determination. The subject !
was brought before the Convention for dis |
cuSslOn. | stated what l had witnessed as |
given above, and also thar Mr.. Barton's ,
foreman was certainly mistaken. ~ it is |
well known that those caterpillars do not |
travel from one vine to another EXCEPT |
where the foliage of the vines intermingle. |
making the access between the vines easy |
that the caterpillars on the vines were |
gathered by Mr.. Bartou's foreman and |
brought by DR.. Eisen into Fresno. three |
miles distant, therefore u 1Uas an utter I'M |
possibility for the cataPillqrs to ret7trn to the |
Vs11cS. Mr.. BartOns attention being called |
10 this statement, he concluded 10 make an !
experiment himself on Friday morning. |
the 18th instant, after my leaving there. in |
which he would use buhach he had on
hand
Result Mr. Barton telegraphs as fol-
lows
FRESNO, June 10, ISL D. Pstor3 Of B1.bacb
Cbmpaag, SocSt0a: Have sprayed with CON
pete success; now want dozen cases Of buhach |
as soon as possible BoEEET BURTON.
Il 2 I,
of the greatest value to the yine-growers, as
ihls slLHLinn nrnnerIN aunLinl viii 49,