The record-union., 1891-02-12
A MEASURE THAT SHOULD BECOME
LAW.

Under the present horticultural law,
concerning the determination of pests
destructive of fruits in California, the
horticulturists are not able to act efficient
ly. The process of applying remedies or
correctives in cases of willfulI refusal to
cleanse orchards are so slow, lingering
and uncertain, that crops are destroyed
or materially injured before the law can
be brought into play, and even then it is
not so efficient as it should be. We say
destroyed, because nearly all citrus fruits
are now sold while growing, and if the
crop turns out badly infested fruit, the
grower is tabooed in the market, and his
fruit thereafter is not salable except upon
conditions that are little less than de-
structive.
1t is truth not to be denied by any sem
sible person that if we fold our hands and
permit the insect pests to take the or
chards, the time viii speedily come when
our fruits will have no buyers at profit
to the grower. In short, horticulture in
California, in the face of the assaults by
fruit pests, is condition of eternal vigil
ance and doubt. With fruit pests stamped
out, it is a condition of the highest pros
perity with the least of doubt involved.
The output of the fruit crop of Califor-
mia for the season of 1S9O-91 was 81 800, ,OOO
That alone saved the State from serious
financial distress. Now the local handi-
cap upon the fruit growers is the insect
pest. The industry suffers severely al
ready from it, but is threatened still more
The success of fruit growing has been
such as to greatly stimulate the industry,
and to draw to it enormous capital and
great number of new growers, and hence
is pushing tree planting to such an extent
that all parts of the world capable of con-
tributing are being called upon to furnish
trees to meet the demand. The majority
of these imports arrive infested with
scale and other pests. In the present
month two carloads of peach trees have
arrived in Los Angeles so infested that
the buyers refused to receive them and
shipped them back to Delaware. A
steamer is now under charter to go out
to Hawaii to bring back cargo of
young orange trees, and they may also
prove to be loaded with enemies to the
industry
We need, therefore, strong, speedy
acting law, that will enable horticulture
lists to protect what is now the chief in
dustry of the State, but which cannot
remain such if the cost of fighting fruit
pests equals the cost ofproduction. Wea
now getting the best prices ever paid for
our citrus fruits, and are shipping out the
best quality of oranges and lemons Cali
fornia has ever produced. The experts
who buy the crops on the trees estimate
that it will require $500 cars to ship these
fruits eastward in the new season.
tits clear, then, that if we are to conserve
horticultural interests our duty is to aid
horticulturists to the fullest possible ex-
tent in the work of blotting out the great
enemy of the industry. Now single
orchardist with ten acres of infested trees,
who refuses or neglects to cleanse the
trees and destroy the pests, as may be
done, if not wholly yet to great extent,
will supply and distribute enough pests to
paralyze the horticultural interests in his
entire section. Such a mans property,
while in that condition, becomes public
nuisance, and the nuisance should be
abated at his expense, even to the extent
of cutting down the trees and burning
them if need be.
The principle upon which we would
base such extreme action is precisely the
same that underlies and justifies the
health laws, and that upholds the author
ity that enters upon premises by force,
and abates a nuisance menacing the pub
lie health, and the expression of the law
justifying such action Will be found in
Section 302S of the Political Code
A bill now is pending before the Legis-
lature, providing that County Boards of
Horticulture, whenever they deem it
necessary, may cause an inspection of
any orchard or nursery to be made, or of
any trees, plants, vegetables, vines or
fruits, or of any packing house, store or
salesroom, or other place where fruits are
kept, to ascertain if such products are in
tested with scale insects, or other pests
injurious or destructive to fruit interests.