Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-12
A BUGGY SUBJECT.
Discussion Before the Board
Of Supervisors.
The Petition of the Fruit
Growers Considered.
Strict Quarantine Measures Warmly
Recommended.
Infected Florida Stock Not Wanted by
the horticultural Commissioners
of the County.

Pursuant to announcement the COM
mittee appointed by the Southern Cali
fornia Pathological Society went before
the Board of Supervisors yesterday and
laid before them resolutions to the effect
that they appoint only practical horti-
culturists and fruit-growers on the Hor-
ticultural Commission, and appoint no
one interested in any way, shape or
manner in the importation OF nursery
stock. The horticultural commissioners
also being present, the meeting was
opened by Mr.. p. j. Dreher, of Pomona,
who addressed the board, explaining the
objects of the resolutions, and asked
that the board comply with the same
Among other things, he said that the
matter was in no sense personal one,
but that the fruit-growers felt, in view
of the fact that large quantities of in
tested Florida stock are being marketed
and planted in almost every section of
Southern California, the Horticultural
Commission should be composed of
practical fruit-growers, actually engaged
in the business, and in no way inter-
ested in the selling of trees, either i'm
ported or native grown. The impor-
tance of making the Horticultural Com
mission, in every sense, efficient and
capable of coping with the new
evils that are besetting the growers,
makes it necessary that only men known
to possess a thorough knowledge of horti-
culture and also practical knowledge
of insect pests should be appointed.
Mr.. Dreher hoped that the Board
of Supervisors would comply with the
provisions embodying the resolutions.
Mr.. G. M. Heintz addressed the COM
mission and the board touching the ef-
ticiency of dipping infected stock, and
argued that no amount of dipping and
no amount of inspection was an absolute
proof that such infected and dipped
stock was absolutely clean. He in
stances several cases where the inspector,
Mr.. Weiss, of this district, had dis
covered infected Florida stock indeed,
in one instance in local nursery on
trees that were sent from the importers
as sample trees, and which were found
to be covered with scales. They were of
course returned to the shipper. Other
instances were cited in which trees were
known to be infected, and it was inti-
mated that some importers had bid
defiance to the rulings OF the horti-
cultural commissioners, and had boasted
that they would bring in all the
Florida stock they saw fit, and that
they would sell the same, and
see that they were planted after inspec-
ton and a series of dippings. The
speaker contended that the interests of
Southern California demanded a rigid
quarantine against Florida stock, and
ho{ nj. 10 ha,,
in view of past experience with insect
pests, to prevent the introduction of any
new ones, to eradicate those already ex-
isting, and to grow our own trees. 1t
was perfect farce to read of the boasted
capabilities of growing everything that
can be grown i'll the temperate and
semi-trOpic zones, and at the same time
be importing trees by the carload from
Florida, some five thousand miles away.
This does not seem to be grief enough.
so we import a lot of new scales at the
same time. The cry made by the i'm
pOrters, that the Florida scale is not in
furious. is all bosh. The most eminent
entomologists in the employ OF the
United States Government report that
there is scarcely grove in Florida, that
is over two years old, that is not in
tested with purple scale. He hoped that
the board and the commissioners would
inaugurate quarantine against any
more Florida stock coming in, and
would also do all in their power to Grad
icate the scale already existing.
Mr.. Kercheyal addressed the meeting
in behalf of the commissioners, stating
that they had done all in their powers
to prevent any stock from being planted
without first being thoroughly inspected
and dipped in a solution calculated to
kill every scale; indeed, in many cases
1t has been made so strong that it killed
all the green on the tree and also por-
tion OF the tender wood from distance
OF from four to six inches on the new
growth. In view of the ordinance that
the supervisors had passed empowering
the commission to quarantine against
Florida stock, he said that they had
passed resolutions actually quarantining
the same. Mr.. Kercheval was heartily
In sympathy with any movement that
was calculated to prevent any more
stock coming into this country from in
fected localities, and also any stringent
measures that would compel owners of
orchards to clean their trees and nom
residents to do the same
The discussion continued for some
little time, and among other suggestions
advanced was that the inspectors all be
made deputy sheriffs. 1t was unani-
mously agreed by all parties concerned
that the only safeguard was rigid
quarantine against all imported stock;
that IS, not subject to inspection, or
dipping Or any other measure, but
SIMPLY. an absolute quarantine prohibit
ing 1t from coming into the county and
| the State. The ordinance nassed March
18th and taking effect April 1st is prac-
tically quarantine measure and will be
enforced, and the fruit-growers are to be