Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-12

The horticultural commission has
made the following report to the super
visors:
We are pleased to report that Mr.. F.
0. Cass has cleaned up his orchard,
thoroughly spraying and pruning it, and
that he now declares himself heartily in
sympathy with the commission in their
work. Since last spring an increase of
thousands of per cent in the number OF
scale insects on the trees and fruit has
quite convinced him that the "Cass
bug" is failure, and that no parasite
exists which will unaided keep in check
this pest.
The commission during the month
again made an inspection of large Or
chards in the San Gabriel valley. Gen
orally the trees were found to be in an
improved condition over that noted
year ago; but the hot, dry weather of
to the growth and spread of the Aspi-
diotus citrinus, and as consequence
very considerable increase in scale on
trees and fruit since the last inspection,
in the latter part of the summer, was
noticed. A movement towards cleaning
up, and once more taking up the fight
against the scale, has been inaugurated.
Not far from Alhambra, Mr.. Pollard
has commenced to use the gas treatment
on his orchard. The commission in
spected his apparatus and found it most
complete, and the work he had already
done most effective. The outfit cost
about $500, and is owned among several
parties, each of whom will use it after
Mr.. Pollard.
The commission will spare no pains to
forward this movement in the San Ga
briel valley.
BY order of the commission, one eff
cient inspector in Pasadena, Mr.. Rich
ardson, has been making arrangements
with parties owning neglected r'ees in
that city to have them removed, the
work to be done under his supervision.
He is now busily engaged attending to
the matter, and thousands of wretched
snags disfiguring the town in all direc-
tions will soon be removed. The COM
mission attended the state horticultural
convention which met at Santa Cruz
November 18th for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the endorsement of representa-
tive frult-growers to an amendment to
the present law (said amendment has
sion to your honorable body) to protect
and promote the horticultural interests
of the state
We especially sought the opinion and
endorsement of the horticultural COM
missioners of the several counties of the
state.
Said commissioners have formed a
state organization which meets at the
same place and time as the state con-
vention above referred to. The amend
ment was laid before this convention of
commissioners and discussed in day and
evening session for three DAYS. There
were thirteen counties represented, and
after this most exhaustive discussion
and with no opposition on our part to
any suggested changes, the amendment
was accepted without any alteration,
and most heartily endorsed by all the
members from Central and Northern
California.
The visit of the commission we think
was great success and will not fail in
producing results most beneficial to the
fruit interests of the state. All we.
hoped for in the way of moral support
was gained and we managed to excite an
interest in counties where little or no in
terest was felt before.
OuT dcClOH, arguments aQQ nara Work
increased the interest in all the counties
and this will create a public sentiment
which in year or two will force the
legislature to place on the statute book
law for the protection of horticulture
which will not be farce, snare and
delusion.
The work of cleaning up and disinfect-
ing is being started in the Azusa neigh
borhood, and good public sentiment is
being aroused. The commissioner for
the first district has opened an office in
Pomona, where the fruit-growers can at
all times obtain information, advice and
assistance, and obtain washes to clean
their trees, properly prepared. The Of
flee also sends out pump, and does the
spraying for those who would not or
could not otherwise clean up. The office
is already very popular, and has all the
work it can possibly attend to-.
All work is done and material sold at
cost.
In the matter of the Moore case, we
can only report progress as very slow.
The matter, against the Judgment of the
commission, was laid before the grand
jury, and as yet there has been no re-
port. Respectfully,
Gro HH,mc,xr.,