Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-04
ADDRESS TO FRUIr-GRowERs.
state Inspector Kiee Wants a
Ciean sweep.

Sb32C hha8RGCsSA
Ciean sweep.
w. q. Klee. State Inspector OF Fruit Pests.
has issued the following address to the
fruit.growers OF California:
The question how to prevent the spread :
ing OF the various insect pests, which nave
beco me established in different sections OF
the State, is becoming every day more
and more serious question. involving large
Interests. and unless definite ana proper
ac ion be taken by parties concerned much
i'll feeling between various @
passed on this subject in 1881 provided for
The establishmen mt of County Boards OF Hor-
ticulture so as to enable the fruit-growers
oprotect themselves, ny aPpo4in,ing P ~ nrsUeeI
already existing. insect pests and
prevent the Importation of new
ones. These county boards have
only been established in limited
number, and many exist only in name. But
a few counties, such as Los Angeles, where
the people have awakened to q full sense OF
their situation, have a. complete orgahiza-
ton. These boards have accomplished
much good, and have done their utmost to
stamp out and prevent the further spread
of the cottony cushion scale, and to pre-
vent the establishing OF new pests, such as
the aspidiotus perniciosus, which i'll many
of the upper and central counties has made
sad havoc with the deciduous fruit trees
This scale, unfortunately too well known
in certain sections, invariably manliests IL
self on the fruit where the red zone around
the scale makes II quite conspicuous. me
and will even propagate here, and is conse-
ouently liable to spread from peelings
thrown about carelessly, as well as from
fruit boxes. This summer quite number
OF boxlso fruit, shipped from the north
ern part of The Sale, were und to be
Infested. and we're ordered dis1nfected by
the inspectors of Los Angeles county. ~
appears now that the southern facihc
Company has been sued by certain mer
chants for the injury and loss sustain ed
from this cause. In consequence OF tnis
move. the railroad company has refused to
allow inspection at the depot, ana the III.
spector now has to take MS chances OF
fnding the fruit anywhere througnout the
city, making it next to an impossibiiity TO
find it at all. OF course, the railroad com
pany has investigated this matter from q
point Of law, and, no doubt, pelieve them-
selves in the right So do the shippers
Morally. the latter undoubtedly are wrong.
Tne trouble arises chiefly from an under
estimation of the danger OF spreading tnese
pests aud of the value OF certain crops 70 GER
tain regions. There are mauy people ~ tne
northern who do not believe that deciduos
fruits can be grown with success In the
southern counties, and on The other hand,
many Los Angeles people ridicule tpe loea
that any citrus fruits can be grown success
fully in any of the central counties. Hence
the disregard of any of the consequences OF
Shipping infected fruits from place to place.
Los Angeles people have not been Alto
gether above reproach. The RED orange
scale has been sent on fruit TO ventura
county, as well as to San Francisco, where
the writer. early this spring, saw II on lem
ons offer ed for sale on the streets. Inc So
called black scale has every year ben sent
on orange trees from Los Angeles, yest ~ th,s ths
olive Indeed, from this source more than
one grove, to my own knowledge, has pe'
co ne infected. -.
According to the law, the various infect
ed districts should be quarrantined py the
state Board of Horticulture, but II the law
was carried out to the fullest extent, nearly
every county in the State would De quaran
tined, as hardly any are altogether exenps
from all the pests that are enumerated
among the injurious insects that are to be
legislated egaiast. But to succeed In nav
ing people submit to this temporary lucon
yenience, it would be necessary to nave
quarantine guardians. M With the M pIesens as,a
arrangement il is impossible for the boaid
or the inspector to get efficient men no
man capable OF performing these outles
will work for two dollars per day, taxing
his chances on collecting through tne
courts. Only by having the local inspectors
appointed quarantine guardians also is IL
feasible to obtain cooperation. But the
county boards must be established by the
Board of Supervisors, on petiuon nom the
choose to do anything, the inspector has
nobody to cooperate with. and canhot
therefore maintain any quarantine !t VIII
be seen, therefore, that public opinion or
the interest of fruit growers must pe tnor.
venting the constant interchange of in
fected packages, of fruits and OF plants
Infected fruit should be WORKED on at
home. Every grower should nave priae
enough not to allow infected fruit to De
sent to Eastern markets. there running the
risk of being condemned as nuisance.
We have been informed that oranges with
the red scale will hereafter be refused III
Chicago Still less should decidu0us fruits,
irfested with scale insects, be permitted to
go out to advertise the state of affairs IN
certain sections.
The point here to be made is. Unless
thorough cooper alton be estapiisnea De.
unless they set apart sufhcient means 70
suppress existing pests and prevent the
new ones 10 pass from place 10 pia;e, VIC
shall have all these pests, now bad IN Ger,
that the question of maintaining clean or
chard anywhere will be impossible without
constant spraying. Il,
In my travels for the last four monthsI
have found the aspidiOtus perniciosus, as
well as the cottOny cushion scale, scattered
far and wide, and in several countles aDso-
lutely no organization for preventing their
spr cad. trust that in these countiesl nave
succeeded In proving to the frult-groWers OF
these sections the necessity OF establishing
active comfy boards. And steps have been
taken in Sonoma, Sacramento Santa Clara
aud San MateO. From actual OBJ
seryation in many different counties,
feel justified that there is no locality or
climate wnere, with thorough work, l6 has
not been proved that the very worst pests
could be kept completely under control, but
their permanent eradication, of course. cal
not be reached save by the utmost eXer-
tions by all parties concerned. Without
this no amount of money appropriated Tor
the horticultural Commission will accomp-
lish the asired results. On November l5tn
the horticultural Convention is to meet IN
Sacramento. ALL persons interested IN irult
cnlture should be present. free exchange
of opinions should be had, and thorough
understanding should be established pe-
tween the various representatives. OF the
fruit growing sections. The Workings OF
tue horticultural laws should be thoroughly
elucidated, and their defects pointed OUT:
that we may have time before the session OF
the Legislature to have necessary revislohs
pointed out.
1 submit these thoughts to the fruitgr
ers of this State, sincerely hoping that the
importance of the subject Will De SHOWN py
the large numDer0 OF delegates present az tne
convention. By a thoughtful provision Oh
the last Fruit-grow ers' Convention, heio uh-
der the officers of the state Board, az Los
Angeles, men prominent IN the ulnerehs
specialties of fruit culture were appoiuted
to prepare essays bearing on their respec..
tive interests, and these contributions Will
no doubt help to make this gathering one OF
the most instructive and interesting ever
held. ". q. kLEE:
Inspector OF Fruit Pests.
S,N lNrIsCo OrtObpr Ia. 1856,