Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-06
BOGGs on BUGS.
An Horticultural Society After the Ceie.
brsted Incompetent
Fresno Democrat
a.otc..z..

An Horticultural Society After the Ceie-
brsted Incompetent.
Fresno Democrat
The following statement is sent forth by
the Horticultural Society of Fresno county
IN response to letter in the Napa ReDorter
Of June 9th, which bore the signature of
w. NJ. Boggs State Inspector OF Fruit Pests.
IN view of q recent visit of his to this
county in his official capacity:
". u. Boggs. Esq.-DEAR SIR: The let
ter published by you in view of your late
official visit TO this place, your remarks in
regard to the insect pests found here, and
your theory about them, for their show of
Ignorance and absurdity of statement are
most surprising, indeed, and so different
from your l2udations of our region. its
conditions and prospects while here, that
we can hardly believe that you could have
written them. Your visit here was very
brief one, and your survey most partial
and superficial, far from iustifving your
giving any intelligent opinion on some of
the points you refer to- You came at the
close of an unparalleled storm, that in a
few weeks had poured upon us a solid
foot of rainfall, and which had indeed
Hooded the SUFFICE of some of the low
places of our region-even raised the
water level in our city, for the time to an
nconyenient hight But YOU seem
to have taken these temporary water
oyerfiows as permanent levels and
drawn the inference that much of our
land is becoming continued swamp Had
you been here two months ago before the
great rain, you could not have Numbered
into any such conclusions. You state that
you found the most of our insect pests on
our wettest lands, and that you found the
Central Colony full of " lakelets, and also
most prolific of these pests. The absurditv
OF all this lies in the fact that the Central
Colony IS one of the very dryest regions of
all our cultivated lands, and even in our
present wet condition, from extreme rain
fall, it,would be impossible to find an acre
OF standing water in all its limits And
what IS quite as amusing as it is false to
TACT, is that the very region you represent
as the higher, dryer portion of this dis
trlct, possessed of best sun and air and free
circulation, is well known to have been
for the past few years by far the dampest
part OF all our orchards and vineyards In
Iact, OF insect pests you found the most in
our very dryest localities, and the cleanest.
thrlftlest trees in our Wettest ones. And
while you make this ignorant, ridiculous
mistake in regard to our region we are
creditably informed that YOU make the
same mistake in regard TO the prevalence
OF the scale pest in the districts of Santa
Cara and San JOSE as there it first made
its appearance and spread not on the wet
test, but on some of the dryest lands.
your letter seems to imply that Won
think you have solved the scale-bug ques-
lion. Ii so, it is by most blind and sur
prising stumble into the truth You give
rs theory that will at least afford all en-
tomologists who learn of it hearty laugh
over the most absurd joke of the season.
You think that IL proceeds from g fungus
on the tree, brought about by too much
hrr+ hy,,,
against the fact that it prevails as abun-
dainty as elsewhere on trees in the drvest
SITUATIONS, with the smallest amount of
Wiser, and which, up to the time of the ap-
pearance OF the scale, were young and as
smooth of bark as trees could be You
think " it would be interesting TO hear some
opinions OF our learned Haiuralists on this
question of the origin of the scale" We
also think IL would be interesting to hear
their opinions. but not so much to yourself
revealing, as it would, your ignorance of
all the facts and history of this enemy of
our orchards and of insect life generally, as
II would be 10 any enemy of YOURS who
might rejoice to see the sad exposure of
your ignorance and utter unitness for your
position. The most ignorant child in natu-
raj science knows the absurdity of the de-
velopment of insect life from a fungus ~
While You have misstated almost every
= y
eiusions could hardly have been more alb
surd and untrue than they are. We may
here say, N regard to the insect pests
among us, which we have in common with
nearly Ill other portions Of the State thas
they do not IL any section about here pre-
vail to the great extent your statements
seem to imply. They prevail in one region
more than another only because the first
region has the older orchards. or regions.
har in ~,
tested trees were brought from other coun-
ties. We can easily tell where they came
from-they came over the railroad on trees
infested in the original nurseries And we
think we being to see where they are going
to, and what will be their speedy end. We
have planned to attack them in their in
cipient stages. As vet there is probably
not one tree out of a hundred, or even
more, in all our orchards that show anv
signs Of their presence. We have not
quarantined our county. We can assure you,
to keep our insects in, to hold possession,
but to keep insects from all infested trees
and fruits out from wherever they NAV be
sent. And this we purpose to do lust as
far as the strictest vigilance and the most
summary enforcement of the law will allow
rs. Our Supervisors have CONSIDERABLY
enabled us to perfect legal organization
Tor this end, and we purpose to nip this
threatening evil in the bud, and show that
at least one county Of this State can con-
quer whatever insect pests may threaten il.
We publish this answer TO YOUR letter not
from any i'll feeling against Yourself or
your appOintment-we had proposed to
give you our confidence and support-but
simply 10 confirm your own asserted state
ment that you knew nothing about insect
pests, and also to show what harm it must
be TO the fruit interests of the State to have
you continue to occupy your present i'm
portant office. Vast interests are at stake.
and no one but the most competent person
possible should assume TO fill that position,
and We shall not shrink from lending our
influence to bring about change
1t was said by one of the sons of Erin
that he never opened his mouth but he
put his foot in it." This, we fear. has been
your experience in your letter We thought
you might know enough to justify your APP
pointment, until you spoke-now We know
how mistaken we were. BY order.
FRESNO COUNTY HoRTIcULTURAL SoCIKrY.
A New Era FOR AMERICAN GrRLs.-Un-
fortunately. American girls are grown in
too large proportion under glass - deli
cate, graceful, and many-hued as foliage
plants some are as beautiful and depend
emf as orchids. Transplanted into the open
fields of life, subjected to rough winds of