Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-23
OUR FRUIT ENEMIES.
C"nfeution to Consider the Ex.ermina
ton of The Insect Pests

Contention to Consider the Exsermina-
ton of The Insect Pests.
Immediately after the close of the meet
ing $f the Fruit Union at San Francisco
on Thursday, the members of that body
for9ed themselves into convention for
the purpose of considering the subject of
insect pests and their eradication from
orchards. From the several daily papers
of}that city, the following account of the
meeting is given:
Professor Hilgard. President of the State
Horticultural Society, presided and E. j.
Milto and W. G. Klee were appointed a
Committee on Order of Business
Yr. Boggs, State Inspector OF Fruit
Pests, who was present. was called upon to
give some information on the subject, and
stated that the law provided for the APP
pointment of quarantine guardians for
local districts by the State Board of Horti-
culture, with powers to compel orchardists
TO take action to rid their fruit trees of
pests, and Is even have infected trees cut
down. There was no provision, however,
in the law for the payment Of such
guardians, consequently when any district
guardian, such district must provide for his
payment.
+. NJ. Pixley, who was in attendance,
was invited to address the meeting. Mr..
Pixley said: = Mr.. Chairman, | am a
gentleman farmer, and | am here for in
formation. | confess that / don't know
anything about fruit farming. and, what is
more, | have never been able to hire any
one who does. | farm in a community of
gentlemen farmers, and we are all raising a
fine and large assortment of fruit pests,
which are going all over the State, because
you won't give us some definite, practical
instructions how TO get rid of the pests.
came here to-day to learn how to get rid of
the pests. | discovered little black bug
on my orange trees, over in Marin
county, last year, and l had man
picking that bug off the trees all one
summer, and he's there yet-the bug, l
mean. Now why don't you professional
orchardiss publish q recipe for killing that
bug? AS you don't publish recipes, have
taken my farming advice out of the agri-
cultural column of city daily, and it has
nearly ruined me. l have estimated that
my butter costs me s. pound, my eggs So
a dozen, and the Jersey COWS paid $475
piece for | can't sell for 500 piece. III
don't get some exact and useful information
soon my farm will ruin me, and want YOU
to adopt system of publishing recipes for
killing bugs and things, which some of
your well-known members can authenti-
cate, and then I'll know it is all right and
not be afraid to use it"
His little speech ended, Mr. Boggs' ex-
cused himself from further attendance on
the convention, saying he was obliged to
return to his home.
The Committee on Order of Business
made this report: The first business shall
be 10 discuss a way by which Matthew
Cooke, OF Sacramento, can be employed by
this association, in his private capacity, as
a pest inspector and advisor for the benefit
of the members of this society Also, to
provide for this purpose at least $500
month, to be raised by subscription by
members of this society, to be paid monthly
to the Secretary, and to be paid by him to
Mr.. Cooke US salary and travelling ex-
penses.
w. c. Blackwood, of Haywards, said he
did not see the necessity OF having man
so into the orchards and say that there
were bugs on the trees 1--WE all know
that" he continued. What we want is
something that will kill the pests"
Mr.. Williams, of Fresno, inquired if the
proposed duties of Mr.. Cooke were not
properly those of the State Inspector, who
had by this time left the hail.
: Do you think Mr.. Boggs knows any
thing about bugs?" inquired Senator De
Long.
No, don't" answered Mr.. Williams,
but we can bring such a strong united
effort to bear on the State Board as will
cause that body to appoint practical en-
tomologist for Inspector
" You've tried that before, and you sue
ceeded, didn't your" chorussed several
members.
Messrs. Buck and Milco were appointed
a committee to solicit subscriptions to the
fund to pay the salary of Matthew Cooke,
and succeeded in getting subscriptions to
the amount of Sill per month.
c. e. Plat, young man from Heads
burg, who stated that he was not fruit
grower, but poor man with boy to edu-
cate, got up and said that he was the dis
coverer of a new bug, which he described
as bearing the same relation to the scale
bug that an alligator does to the sunfish,
but he neglected to state the valuable
properties of this wonderful insect, except
that it has six legs and does not eat fruit
Frank Buck, of Solano, said he had
killed the San Jose scale in summer with
one application of spray made of ten
pounds Of tobacco stems, 125 pounds of
whale-oil soap, and $50 gallons of water.
He had killed them in winter with one-half
pound of soda and one-half pound of
potash dissolved in one and half gallons
of water but it took more than one appli-
cation.
Leonard Coates of Napa stated that in
his experience, the San Jose scale bug was
the hardest TO kill. An effective wash was
composed of caustic soda and potash, half
pound of each to one and quarter gallons
of water, the liquid to be applied hot
Mr. Block, of Santa Clara, has been
troubled with the oyster-shell scale on his
trees. He recommended spraying the
trees with solution of I've and water-one
pound of I've to six gallons of water.
G. n. Gray, of Chico, called the attention
of those present to new variety of black
aphis that was infesting the potato and to-
mato vines in his vicinity
Mr.. Hussman, of Napa, was acquainted
with this aphis, and said he had discovered
that the ladybug destroyed this aphis.
which in reality was not very harmful
The subject of pear-tree fungus was dis
cussed, and as a remedy for it it was sug-
gested 10 use sulphate of iron, one pound to
fifteen or twenty gallons of water Profess
sor Hilgard recommended sulphate of cop
nor with mill anI E,,o oc 4, loc4-,,..s,. &