Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-28
FRUIT PESTS.
THE WAR AGAINST THEM AT
LOS ANGELES.
Jmportant Meeting Of the Fruit
growers of Los Angeles County
for Organization.

growers of Los Angeles county was held al
Los Angeles last Saturday, in pursuance Of
a published call. The necessity for a sys-
tematic and persistent effort against the
insect pests, which are SO seriously and in
creasingly affecting the fruit products OF
the State, and which necessity has for
years been urged and insisted upon by the
RECORD MON, has become appreciated by
loses already sustained, and the meeting at
Los Angeles is the first general movement
on the part of any county or.locality for a
united and aggressive warfare against the
destructive enemies Of the insect world. 1t
seems strange that any class OF intelligent
men should need to be urged to act for self
preservation; 10 the protection of their
own property and interests; and yet III the
case of fruit-growers-wit but limited
exceptions-when the damages are APP
parent ON every hand, and the success
of remedial measures are as
sured. the utmost Indifference and
cllpable negligence is manifested.
The efforts of Il fruit-grower here and
there TO overcome the pest invasion can
only be partially successful so long as lis
neighbors permit their orchards and vine
wards TO remain as unmolested breeding
and recruiting grounds for all insect life.
The initial movement, therefore, at Los
Angeles, of an entire community engaging
unitedly in the common cause against the
destructive pests, marks departure III the
line of awakened common sense which
should be followed throughout the entire
State, and which, il properly carried out,
will insure success, and return of five
hundred fold for the trouble and outlay.
WORK OF THE CONVENTION.
The Convention on Saturday was largely
attended by the leading fruit-growers from
all parts OF the county. Hiram Hamilton,
of Orange, was elected Chairman, and ].
F. Peabody Secretary. The Chair stated
rhe object of the meeting to be to take
measures for protection of the fruit inter
ests of the county against the ravages of in
sect pests. He called especial attention to
the white c0ttODy cushion scale, which is
doing much damage to citrus trees and
fruits, and asked for expression of views
upon the work in hand
b, N. LELoNG
Spoke at length, giving his experience and
result of his observations. The white cot
tony cushion scale, he said. first appeared
on the old Carey place in Los Angeles. and
subsequently spread through various por-
tons of the county. He alluded TO the
action of the San Gabriel Fruitgrowers'
Association, which has been very success
ful in Graduating the pest, and gave an in
teresting report of the result of his own
experiments. The white scale attacks
both the orange and vine, but the method
Of destruction is different. The wood and
leaves of the orange are affected, but the
insect does not disturb the fruit although
occasionally the caliX is destroyed. One or
two bugs on a single tree will in a season
produce mvriads. The pest is spreading
rapidly, and not only are the trees infected
but also the vines, shrubs and even the
weeds. The white scale is to be found in
the public parks of the city on the grass
and trees. 1t is hardly necessary to discuss
remedies They are known to exist, audit is
only question of dollars and'cents with
fruitg-rowers. \ single spraying is not
sufficient to rid an orchard ofthe pests 1t
may take a year or more. BandagcS are
required to keep the insects from crawling
up the tree when they are knocked down,
and many other precautions are required.
The black scale only breeds once a year,
while the white scale breeds all the wear
round. 1t is possible that the black scale
may breed at different periods, but only one
brood is raised in a year, while the white
scale has a numerous progeny. OF rene
dies. a mixture of potash tobacco and coal
oil has proved the most satisfactory. There
are numberlesS applications recommended i
but many of these, while they kill the in (
sects. greatly injure and even kill the trees
Mr.. Lelong strongly condemned a prepa-
ration advocated by the State Inspector of
Horticulture, stating it was both Injurious
to the trees and dangerous to the user. !
Mr. Leioug stated that recently he had
had considerable correspondence with par ,
ties i'll South Africa, where orange-growing
has been tried, but proved a failure, owing
10 the white scales gaining footing in the
orchards and running the trees. They
made no use of remedies, and the scale not
only destroyed the foliage OF the trees, but
infested the plants and vines, even devour-
ing the potatoes under ground.
A vigorous and united movement upon
the part Of the people OF Los Angeles he re-
garded necessary at the present time and
WAS certain such an effort would be success
full
GEORGE RICE,
Who some time since, as he stated. re-
ceived a commission as bug inspector from
the State Board, spoke of his experience
under the old law He looked up the law,
he said, and consulted with Judge Brun-
SON. but found that little could be done /
With the assistance Of Mr, Lelong the in
fected trees in the Fisher-R Richardson
nursery had been kept out of the market.
but i'll one case where he went to an orchard
which was badly infected, the owner re-
fused to do anything and he sent to the
State Board for instructions. The reply
came that he could use no legal process, as
the law then stood, but must depend upon
moral suasiun, He had observed great
recklessness among orchardists, and they
even told him they did not care how much
the pest spread in their orchards as they
were fixing up to sell Mr.. Rice said that
Ire was glad that Los Angeles has Board
Of Supervisors that were not afraid to en-
force the new law. He spoke on the ne
cessity of harmonious action, and stated
that general law is needed to awaken peo-
pie to their duty. What good would it do
if Orange guaranteed and Santa Ana did
nothing, or if Pasadena took vigorous ac-
ton to eradicate the pest and Los Angeles
was indifferent?
DR.. o. II. CoNGAR
Said he had 70 faith in the use Of the law
in such matters. Technicalities would be
raised. In his opinion, all laws for the
purpose of Graduating the scale would
prove failure. He had more faith in in
dividual efforts. The result of numerous
experiments on his own place had been
satisfactory, and he thought by pruning,
scraping and taking all the other precau-
tons, an orchard could be cleaned AT Il very | 5
moderate expense. He advocated Sulphate | {
of lime, through sprayer, although it left
marks upon the fruit. lie said that brush
and bushes in which birds nest should be I
destroyed, as they are means of CARRYING 5
the scale pest into the orchards With a ! {
simple remedy these evils could be obyi- +
ated. but if no one does anything no relief {
will be obtained All should unite in a {
general effort of extinction.
JOEL PARKER,
OF Orange concurred with the last speaker
in some respects, but believed that after all | .
a strong law is necessary, and could be en- I
forced. What good is ii for one man 10 :
clean up his place, when his neghbor re-
fuses to do anything? Let us ascertain
the best remedies and methods. and then
see that the law is enforced, SO as to have I
the entireseciion cleansed at the same time. I
COUNTY THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
Upon motion of Mr.. Weile. of Pomona