The morning call., 1890-12-27
EASTERN DUPLICITY.
California Fruit.Growers and
Shippers Victimized.
and
Importation Of Eastern Trees Condemned New
Varieties Of Oranges, Lemons, Grapes
and Berries Exhibited.

eAo"OAo shAou6uo0b LILO 0tdtC dt0
very much agitated over a report tele-
graphed from San Jose that eight carloads
OF peach trees affected with "yellows" had
been received at Pasadena.
The matter was brought before the State
Horticultural Society at its meeting yester-
day, and was made the subject of some
severe structures by Secretary Lelong on
the reporter who had spread the news with
out taking the trouble to make an investiga-
ton. He said that the scare originated in a
report which reached his Office from South
ern California to the effect that several car
loads Of peach trees had arrived from the
East, which it was feared were affected with
the dreaded disease.
An expert fungOlogist was at once sent
to make an examination of the trees, and
his report has not yet beec received The
disease appears in the sap and causes the
immediate death of the tree. 1t receives its
name from the appearance of the tree after
death.
Secretary Lelong also Informed the soci-
ETY. that he had disinfected with whale oil
soap some peach trees infested with the
Eastern bOrer, which had been received by
horticulturist living at San Jose. The
Eastern borer differs from the Californian
product in that it grdles the tree, while the
native works upward and downward.
A VIGOROUS CONDEMNATION.
The importation of trees from the East
was vigorously condemned by several men,
bers, who held that the orchards OF the
State may yet suffer disaster by reason Of
the ravages Of imported pests. This brought
up discussion OF the introduction of the
detested curculiO. some believing that the in
sect would have been brought here long ago
If earth had been brought around the roots
of the trees, for the insect falls to the
ahOuf a
shaken.
Another theory advanced was that the
soil and climate of the State are hostile to
the insect, or it would have been here long
ago. The advocates of the first theory re-
piled that the curculio is now in Dakota and
whatever will grow in Dakota will grow in
California.
Secretary LeIong next submitted YER
Datim report of observations made by Pro-
fessor Charles III. Allen of San Jose, late
at the last meeting of the State Fruit-grow-
ers' Convention. He had found reason to
believe that dried Eastern fruit of poor
quailty is being palmed off on Eastern con-
sumers as the best that California Can pro-
duce.
He had further found what he considered
evidence that the name of reputable Cali
lorna growers and shippers are being placed
upon worthless goods, the selling of which
has given California dried fruit bad repu-
all others. AT PittSDurg, which he believes
is one of the greatest dried fruit markets in
the world, Professor Allen says he found
some exceedingly inferior fruit marked
California Dried Fruit" and in another
large city he asked a dealer how California
fruit was selling.
CALIFORNIA SPANISH PRIMES"
Eve can't sell California fruit. It's poor
stuff" was the answer. II have hundred
boxes upstairs, and they bring it back"
The dealer produced some Of his upstairs
fruit that was marked California Spanish
Prunes." The boxes were opened and were
found to contain what appeared to be dried
DamSon plums, which were, according to
Professor Aliens account "All b0ne, ex-
cept little skin drawn over, and when you
even for swine" The dealer had 100 boxes
of this fruit and Professor Allen found large
quantities of 1t in other places. He had
never heard of California Spanish prunes,"
but the boxes bore the name of a reputable
dealer, well known in California, which he
believed had been forged upon them. He
also found boxes from which the name had
apparently been removed.
DR.. Gustav Essen exhibited photographs
of a variety of grapes which he thought
procured at Smyrna. in Asia Minor, by the
American Consul, who sent them three or
four years ago TO this State. When received
1t was thought they were of the sultana
variety, but they are entirely different. They
are much sweet.r, ripen earlier, and will, in
the opinion of the professor, supersede the
sultana. They are seedless, are very thrifty
growers, producing long and loose branches
of whitish fruit The cuttings were planted
at Sonoma and Redwood City.
: FROM FOREIGN CLIMEs.
Seed of a blackberry that grows in Kams-
chatka, Siberia, was exhibited to the society,
with delicious jelly made from the fruit.
Several members took samples of the seed
for experiment.
There were also exhibited oranges grown
upon plants imported from Joppa in Pales-
tine. and lemons from Villa Franco in Spain.
Both were grown near Los Angeles. The
oranges were large, lightcolored, seedless,
ragless. very sweet and highly favored. In
the opinion of several members they were
superior to any oranges hitherto produced
in the State. The lemons were large, seed
less and very juicy. Both the oranges and
lemons are entirely thornlesS.
+. T.. Miles submitted an amendme It to
the constitution making three, instead OF
ten, members quorum for the transaction
of business. An amendment providing that
three instead of four members shall consti-
tuto quorum of the Board of Directors was
also submitted Both of these will be acted
upon at the next meeting.
Emory E. Smith proposed that the society
commend and indorse Professor Eissen's
book, entitled Grape Culture" AS the
book had not been read by all of the men,
bers it was decided to postpone final action
until the next meeting, when the book will
be made the subject OF report by a COM
mittee composed of Emory Z. Smith, E. j.
Wickson and G. Z. Rexford.
The preparation and planting OF fruit
adapted to different localities was discussed,
the concensus OF opinion being that some
fruit could always be found adapted to the
soil i'll the farmers possession.
At the mex. meeting the improvement of
n Ann rio