Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-12
THE FRUIT GROWERS.
They Meet in Convention ALI
Day.
INSECT PESTS DISCUSSED
Several Interesting Papers Read, and
Addresses Made by the Gov
ern0r and Mayor.

The thirteenth session of the Cslifor
MIA State Fruit Growers Convention
commenced yesterday morning In the
Los Angeles theatsr. About hundred
orchardists from all over the State were
present when the president, Mr.. Elwood
Cooper, Of Santa Barbara, called the con-
vention to order. At that time tn ere
were on the stage beside the presidents,
Rev. Eli Fay, Governor Waterman,
Mayor Hazard. B. NJ. LIE Long, DR.. o.
II. Conger, Major E. W. Jones and
others. Rev. Eli Fay delivered an inn
pressive prayer and the president de-
clared the first business in order to be
the election of presidents.
Judge Aiker was placed in nomination,
but it being stated that it had been de-
cided to allow the Los Angeles Chamber
Of Commerce to name the vice presidents,
Judge Aiker declined the nomination.
Major Jones, president of the Cham Der
of Commerce, then placed in nomination
]. B. Laukershim, Of Los Angeles; Dr.O
81 Conger, of Pasadena, and DR.. j. P.
Widney, of Los Angeles, all of whom
we're elected and given seats on the plat
form.
President Cooper then delivered the
opening address, in which he said that
the association of fruit growers had held
thirteen sessions, and that he had pre-
sided over them since 1885. The objects
of the conventions were, as was
to be. seen from the reports, to obtain
knowledge in relation to horticulture.
He spoke of the vine disease, which
threatened to destroy one of the great
interests of the State, and said he had
heard of four distinct theories for it's
cause at Fresno. The Fresno people
thought the disease was due to alkali
land and bad drainage. Some thought
that the end of the grape had come, and
that it would soon disappear from the
face of the earth. Others assigned the
cause of the disease to pruning, and still
others to climatic changes. The speaker
said that the disease was not yet under
stood. 1t was peculiar in this respect,
in that it attacked the leaves first, and
died from the top downward and not
from the root up. Everybody
was an interested sufferer, and
all should stand together in
ferreting out the cause of the disease.
Specialists should be found to give a So
luton to the difficulty. From the infor-
nation that he had gathered he had
come to the conclusion that the end of
the grape had not yet come. If it should
be, the loss to the world would be most
serious. The disease vas not due to
change of climate, because the records
showed that the climate had not
changed. He was inclined to the belief
that the disease was due to fungoid
growth, and hoped that new light would
be thrown on the matter within q short
time. In reference to fighting insects
that are injurious to fruit, ne thought
that the efforts to extermirate them
should not be relaxed Every effort
should be made to secure enemies for the
insects. Another thing that should be
looked after was the marketing of fruit.
and he advised that the fruit growers
should unite in endeavoring to secure
better market advantages.
The president next introduced Gov
ernor Waterman, who remarked that he
always took deep interest in horticul
tural matters. He remembered attend
ing meeting of horticultural society in
the East when he was young, where they
discussed the improvement of fruit, Rnd
he supposed that the convention had
been called for the same purpose. He
said that he could not feel that the grape
was to 60 out of existence. He thought
that the cause of the disease must be the
want Of something in the soil, and sci
entists should be employed to analvze it,
He also thought that the vineyards nsrs
irrigated too much, and instsnced case
- AI a,1 haI
csedlngly well without irrigation.
Mayor Hazard was next called upon
He said that it was a pleasure to well
come to Los Angeles body OF men
representing the fruit interests of the
State He remembered time not long
ago when California was noted for her
minerals, when people came to the Coast
for the metals which they sent east
Those days had gone by, but nobody
believed then that California was des-
tined to become the garden spot of the
world, and yet that was what it
was fast becoming. When the
people of Southern California ceased
setting apart corner lots, ceased
writing mortgages to raise money for
speculation, when its people commenced
to delve in the soil and extract the pro-
ducts therefrom then the future of the
section became assured. He took
pleasure in welcoming the fruit growers
to Southern California, because he looked
to them for aid and advice. In his
opinion, Southern California would be
the garden spot of the State, to which
its residents could invite the world with
pride to make it's home. He cloaed by
again welcoming the visitors and hoping
that their stay would be pleasant.
DR.. 0. 81. Conger delivered the address
of welcome, in which he outlined the
work that had been done by the horti
culturalists and fruit-growers, and hoped
that the benefits of the meeting would be
long and lasting.
A standing vote of thanks was rendered
to Governor Waterman and Mayor Haz-
ard, and q resolution of thanks was Of
fered to DIR. Congsr, after which an ad-
Journment was taken until O'Clock.
Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session was devoted to
the consideration of insect pests and their
parasites.
w. E. Collins, of Ontario, read the
first paper, on 'sInsect Pests and the
Laws Therefor" He said that coneid.
cradle progress had been made in the
matter of making laws for the protection
OF fruit, but he thought that quarantine
laws should be passed so that a greater