Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-06


did not propose to prohibit decent citi-
zen from conducting respectable sa-
| loon. He therefore moved to lay the
resolution on the table. The motion be-
ing seconded by Mr.. Knox, it prevailed,
and the board adjourned.
Los Angeles County horticultural
Com mission.
Los ANGELES, Cal, February %, 1890.
To the Los angeles County Board Of Su-
peruisors::
We respectfully tender herewith the
monthly report for February of the
County horticultural Commission:
The policy adopted by this commission
of continued and earnest search for
parasite that will destroy the red and
! San Jose scales, or any other pests that
are injurious to fruit trees, has been pur-
sued during the past month.
Our secretary was instructed to COM
municats with United States Entomolo.
gist G. V. Riley, at Washington, request
ing him to ask Congress for an appropri-
alton that would enable the Department
of Agriculture to seek the world over for
parasites that prey on the insect pests
that are now threatening the welfare OF
our great fruit industry. In reply, Prof.
Riley advises us ''that he will not be able
to do much with Congress- in the way we
suggest, but that he hopes and expects
that the United States Department of
Agriculture will have power to act with
out such petition after next June" Prof
Riley still further advises us "that the
red scale of California (aspidiotus Au-
rantit) has been believed to be Of Aus
tralian origin, but that it is about as
abundant there as In California. He
says that it does occur in other parts of
the world, and much inquiry will have to
be made before we can feel sure of its
native home. That it has some parasite
enemies in California, and though
it doubtless has others in Austria
lis, we know so far only of
a fungus and small beetle
that attacks it there" Prof. Riley
also says "that the San Jose scale (sspi-
diotus perniciosus) is not as yet known to
be an imported species, but that all these
scales are amenable to careful treat
ment by the sprays which we have lately
recommended or by the improved gas
treatment"
Notwithstanding the valuable opin-
ions of Prof. Riley, this commission fesls
that in making inquiry for parasite for
the red scale, in other countries, search
should also be made for an enemy for
the San Jose scale insect. This pest, ii
not speedily destroyed, will utterly ruin
the deciduous fruit interests of this Coast.
1t not only checks the growth of the tree,
but it covers the tree literally entire and
the fruit nearly as much so, and if left
unchecked, the tree is killed in three
years. time.
There is absolutely no parasite at work
on the San Jose scale insect. We find
the dangerous pest invading every de.
ciduous fruit district in the county, and
have notified owners of such infested
orchards to disinfect, giving them the
necessary mode of procedure. Unless
the San Jose insect is thoroughly
stamped out, the deciduous fruit inter
ests of the county will, in few years,
have dwinGled to naught.
In our January report to you, we men,
toned having been compelled, after ex-
hausting the necessary preliminaries, to
place in the hands of the District Attor-
ney, for prosecution, the case of F. o.
Carr, of Vernondale. We were led to
take this step, not only from our sense
OF duty to the State law prescribing it,
but as determination of our duty aud
obligation to the fruit growers OF Los
Angeles county, wherein We sought to
stamp out dangerous insect pest, tho
Santa Ana red scale, just obtaining a
foothold in this county. The case came
up before Justice Rankin and jury of
six, February 14th in San Antonio town
ship, and was decided against the State
on the 18th. The evidence of the de-
fenss was simply line of individual
theories, in fact farcical, when compared
with the important results of years of
study by scientific entomologiats, and
the long and tried experience of the
most thorough and intelligent horticul.
turists of our county.
1t is not, and has not been, the policy
of this commission to enforce indiscrim-
mate spraying, without regard to the ex-
istence of parasitic insects, but in the
case of Mr.. Carr, it was evident to U.S.
shat unless prompt measures were taken
the "Ssnta Ana" red scale would effect
Judgement in this district that would
eventuate in its spreading to every citrus
fruit orchard in Los Angeles county in
another eighteen months. The result OF
our efforts, when it is considered as the
consequence of public opinion, is cer-
tainly sad commentary on Los Angeles
county as q citrus or deciduous fruit
growing district. This commission en-.
deavors to squslch the most dreaded OF
all red scale insects, in it's incipiency, an
insect that has no effective parasite, but
is prevented from doing so by jury
Influenced by the public opinion Of
Vernon district.
In connection with this deplorable re.
suit, we hand you herewith careful
ompilation of statistics showing the
number of citrus trees now under cult.
vation in the county. 1t does not include
trees situated in acreage cut up into
"town lote," or that have been aban
doned or are not worthy of future care.
No. of orange trees. 2s9,677 1850
No. of lemon trees lse92 29,345
No. of lime trees No.. 4,o1o 435
| No. of cit-ou trees 15 Is
| Age. ) years and under 1877 500 oranges
10, $50 lemons. $50 lines
In addition to this there are 395 ,O0(
budded orange and lemon trees in nur
sery form that will be planted the com.
ing season. This does not include seed
bed plants. Thus there will be 1854, ,641
citrus fruit trees, the comparative income
from which can be easily computed, tina,
will be threatened with ruin by an insect
pest that the commission has been op.
posed in it's endesvors to check.
In our previous reports we have called
l L.