Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-03
A WEAK DEFENSE.

The Napa Reporter comes to the defense
Of Mr.. Boggs, the new and incompetent
Fruit Pest Inspector 1t SAYS that he was
opposed by the Cooke crowd" We know
nothing of that, and care less. We have
no candidates for the office, and do not
propose to present the claims of any one.
What we debate is the competency of the
man who has been rewarded with two
hHndred-dollar a month Office because he
Is a good fellow, a pioneer, correct citi-
zen, right royal hard-slell Democrat, and
tit into the Mexican war" but who is not
capable of discharging the trust imposed
by the law, and that the best interests of
fruit culture demand should be undertaken
by competency only. The Reporter sneers
at entomologists, and tip-tilts its nose at
scientific terms and the accepted nomen-
clatme in use in speaking of the insect
world. The sneer is the argument of the
fool and the isnoramus If the Reporfer
knows anything, it knows that the science
OF entomology has given us about all the
knowledge we have on the subject of the
proper treatment of fruit pests. 1t enables
us to study the natural history of the in
scots, by which means only can we check
their breeding and exterminate them, since
without a knowledge of their habits and
the order of their propagation, the attempt
10 resist them is like pouring water on fire
while another supplies the fame with
OIL. The Latin nomenclature, of which
1t admits Mr.. Boggs to be ignorant
IS only a means of simple intelligent
and unmistakable communication among
men concerning the pests. There must be
uniformity of expression in designating
them, or there can be no intelligent inter
change of views and facts and experiences.
For TINS reason a common tongue is
adopted, that signifies to all peoples of all
lands just what order, class, genus and
species is referred to when pest is de
scribed The man unfamiliar with this
nomenclature must be shut out from the
fields of information it is his duty to enter
when he undertakes to cope with this
gigantic subject The Reporter says that
Mr.. Boggs will visit all the orchards
where bugs" have been successfully com
batted, and that he will collect all the
information he can as to how it has been
done and then disseminate it. Here's fresh
ness for you. Here's charming conf
dence on the part of ignorance in its abil-
ity to discharge duty that shames the
learning Of the world Mr. Boggs is
elected to place for no such purpose He
Is elected to give information to the
orchardists at once in whose orchards the
ougs > have not been successfully COM
batted. Then, too, there is a very large
class OF orchards where bugs" are not the
pests at all. What does Mr.. Boggs pro-
pose to do in such cases? Does he, in
deed, know what "bug" is, and wherein
II differs from the many insect pests that
atilict the orchard We doubt it. The
Reporter asks that judgment on Mr.. Bogcs
be suspended until it is shown by trial
that he is incompetent TO the task he has
undertaken. But who is to stand the
damage incurred while he is expert
menting and learning? What is to
compensate the poor fellows at whose
expense this admitted tyro in entomology
Is to gain experience Was the law passed
10 educate men up to the point of ability?
And is there not something of pride in
this matter? For the people should have
pride in making the reports of our Fruit
Pest Inspector of value TO other States
and countries, with whose commissions we
have been exchanging reports. An I'M
skilled man, ignorant OF economic entom-
o'ogy, cannot report in a way to make his
documents command respect at home OF
abroad. In short, the election of Mr.. Boggs
cuts us off from intelligent and useful COM
rnunication with the departments of the
United States Government, where the sub
iect is treated by scientist, who is at the
S me time practical man. Mere theory
i, not what is wanted, nor yet the merely
practical, but a combination of both.
Boggs has neither theory nor experience.
FARCICAL.