Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-13
BUGS OR ORANGES.
You Pays Your Money and
Takes Your Choice"
LET THE ORCHARDS BE CLEAN.
The "Herald" Pencil Probes a
Hornets Nest-Let the
Facts Speak.
LET THE ORCHARDS BE CLEAN.

morning ON the white scale seems to
have made bit Of n stir in fruit circles
and elsewhere. In fact the reporters
pencil seems to have penetrated hor-
nets nest and let lots Of buzzers out.
Let il be distinctly understood that the
work being done here is simply reporto-
rial work. There is no fight for anyone,
nor against anyone. The war is on the
bugs solely aud only. All interests are
to have full and fair hearing, but all
through the really objective point, the
destruction Of the scale, shall not be lost
sight Of.
Certain parties interested in real es-
tate, that is who have it for sale either
as agents or principals, do not like To-
hear the word bug spoken above whis-
per. Well, whispers will not scare the
scale away. II will take some loud talk
to do that. The thing must be done.
1t will be done, and done soon, and
when it is done the real estate men will
be as well pleased as anyone. :.
The men who keep dirty orchards and
refuse to clean them, in some cases dep
recate any agitation ON the subject lest
thew should be forced to attack the
pests. In other cases they have mis-
construed the meaning of the first arti-
Gle in the HERALD. One such yesterday
told the Inspector he was going to be
inspected himself, that the HERALD said
SO and that he would not clean his trees.
This was a great mistake, The City
Council said the inspectors are to be in
speeted and the HERALD merely reported
the fact The general sentiment is in
favor of clearing out the pest. If one
get Of officials cannot do it, another set
will. II the present law is inadequate
new one will be framed. The bugs
must 90, whether the Chinese do or not.
The HERALD Is in favor Of both propo
sitions, and thinks both will be brought
about.
Then the Inspectors feel somewhat
aggrieyed because the fact OF their ell
cheney being called in question by the
Council and the public, was repeated,
and possibly with some emphasis. 1t
is the authorities and the public that
are sitting in judgment on the lnspec'
tors, and the reporter 10 merely the
chronicler Of the facts as he finds them.
THE LAW.
The statute law seems to the average
mind plain enough. 1t provides for
making the owners of infected trees
clean them up. If they will not do. 1t
then the orchards may be declared a
nuisance and abated rs any other is |
dealt with. If an owner will not obey
the law he 10 guilty Of a misdemeanor
and subject to u fine of from S25 th si00l
for each offense. The ordinances OF the
city and county are said to be carefully |
drawn by good lawyers in accordance
with the Slate statute.
This seems all straight enough, yet
there seems to be much friction in the
way Of enforcing these laws. As stated
Yesterday, a man defied the official in
spector because he 1.-THE mani bad misun-
.Ierstood the statements OF an article in
the newspaper. What has the inspec.
Tor cot to do with tho article or the lazy |
fruit-grower's Misunderstanding Of the
matter? Either he Is armed with power
by law to compel action in this matter.
or he 10 not. II he is, his duty Is TO
force compliance with the law. II the
law is defective let the TACT come oui and |
let it be amended.
THE PEOPLES VIEWS.
The cry of the people is for relief.
They see the pest spreading tar and VIDE
around them. They see valuable prop |
erty imperiled. On all sides the scale
spreads from one orchard to an
other, from one district to an-
other. II il il not put down
by vigorous means and ut once,
it will put the country down.
The popular appeal IL for some
prompt and efficient means to extermin-
ate the bugs. There has been offered a
premium OF $1,000 for a wash which will
10 it, Many fruit growers, and intelii-
gent ones too, claim that none OF those
offered is at all better than the old
ones. 1t is claimed by these growers
that there is no difficulty in the way OF
effecting radical clean up OF the bugs,
excepting merely TO force all TO go to
work. IL is desirable to get cheap
wash and 10 got some better means OF
spraying the trees 30 that no part shall
be missed. The latter 10 Of more impor-
tango than the former, for already there
are washes tina, cost only Que cent a
gallon, which is dead sure to kill every |
bug it hits. The trouble is to get at all
The bugs on tree, Particularly large
one. Still it is said that all
these are minor matters, OF little
moment compared with, the getting OF
ALI orchardists to start vigorous cru
sade against the pests. Here the two
PARTIES in interest blame the other. The
Inspectors say il 10 impossible to get the |
growers to get to WORK. The inspector |
VIC. as the negligent fruit man aud when
At length Steps are taken against him he |
puts sprayer at work, aud Ia form com
niles with the law. The inspector is
powerless. The State law seems to pro-
vide for this by saying the orchard may |
be declared a nuisance. 1t also pro- |
vides that the fruit from such an or
chsrd may be quarantined and the fruit
ihereiors declared the MARKET. Why
not try one OF these remediesl People
are getting the idea that the time for
good nature in the premises is pretty |
yell passed ard that no consideration |
nor sentiment shall longer b. let come
ia the way OF exterminating the pests.
On the other side, growers who
have spent so cents. tree for
washes, and as much more to
get 1t on, going to an expense
Of perhaps 800 an acre to clean their
trees, aud have got it done, are far from
well pleased when they go out week
later and find along one side of the
orchards, all the trees injected from the
other side of the fence, where some one
ignorant OF careless Of the whole matter |
will do nothing. 1t is not strange il in
such case, the irate granger uses some
strong expressions, and possibly says |
some one il ~ blanc. As there is Law |
and officers paid TO see 1t enforced, aud |
as the granger is not experienced in the |
difficulties lawyers eau make in OBJ |
structing the action OF good laws. he |
may want to know where the Inspectors
are and what they are doing. In all the
matter it may be hard to say who is to
blame Perhaps oil are doing their best.
excepting the careless orchard
Isl. who does not see his own
true interest any more than that
Of his Deighbors. The careful
and intelligent eultivator is anxious t.
let light somehow into the mind of such
neiQhbor. Here is about the only aim
Of the intelligent orcLsrdist, and Of the
efficient inspector--to get some way OF
forcing the careless to clean up. The
HERAID's whole purpose is to aid in this
good work.
1T CAN BE DONE.
There is really no great difficulty in
the way Of doing this work. There are
mauy places in the city where the bug
las been practically exterminated. Mr..
Rice, one Of the County Commissioners,
points to Pasadena and Downey, where
the pest has been put down ehectually.
AT tho Mission the County Commission
ers have also gone 10 work and almost
absolutely exterminated the bugs. lnone
case. that Of Gen. Ward, on the old
Nc Gregory place, the whole orchard
Vas taken out root and branch. On
Tuesday morning details Of these good
rssul,s taken from Mr.. Rice's book, will
be printed la these columns. There
..,st ha M LET mn until the last bug