Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-08
FIGHTING BUGOLOG|STS.
Secretary Lelong Replies to Mr..
COllins's Attack.
Do Horticulturists WANT Parasites
or NOt2
The Secretary of the State Board of
horticulture Writes a Long Letter.
A Lively Rumpus the
Prospect.

Some days ago at a meeting of horti-
culturisEs at Santa Ana, resolutions
were adopted strongly censuring B. M.
Lelong, secretary of the state board of
horticulture, to which the latter replies
as follows
There has appeared in several South
ern California papers a set of resolu-
tions purporting to have been passed at
meeting of horticultural commission
ers at Santa Ana, which are devoted to
denouncing me by name.
"These were introduced by W. E.
Collins of Ontario, and were 30 evil
IDENTIFY the outcome OF his personal spite
and narrowness that l am surprised
that they should have been noticed by
the other commissioners or published by
the press. However, as they have ap-
peared in public print and were passed
in most cowardly manner-as a man
is attacked from ambush-behind my
back and where was in no position to
defend myself, ask in Justice, space in
your columns for a reply.
"The good work of the state board of
horticulture, of which have the honor
to be secretary, and to the efforts of
which Mr.. Collins owes his honorable
position, is too well known to need
elucidation. Suffice to say that among it's
other labors it was instrumental in in
PRODUCING the vedalia cardinals, to
which Mr.. Collins and other Southern
California orange growers owe so much,
and is now working as persistently and
advantageously for the orchardists of
the state as ever. New parasites are
being discovered, their operations care
fully noted, and where they promise to
| be largely useful they are propagated
and distributed, and it has been GUS
tomary for the newspapers to note this
work and comment upon it. For some
unknown reason, Mr.. Collins has be-
come suddenly disgruntled over this
work of the board. He seems to think
that the introduction of beneficial para
sites in some way intringes upon his per-
sonal rights, as though, when they are
introduced his field of useful
ness would be narrowed or destroyed.
Perhaps he is so fond of working for the
public good that he is jealous of the lit
tie bugs that would share his labors
with him. Whatever the cause, Mr..
Collins, to use common phrase, got
his back up over the bug question, and
wrote me most impertinent letter, in
which he said
I am glad to learn you have had no
report of the yellows and hope it may
never come. Let me say, however, as
far as California is concerned such re-
ports are harmless as compared with
those heralding the importation of
parasites
AFTER this the able gentleman who
seems 80 competent to manage other
peoples affairs volunteered lot of ad.
vice as to how this department. should
be conducted, and it is probable that, as
his advice has not been followed to any
considerable extent, he is grumpish
about it. 5
"Now, having found the probable
cause OF these resolutions, let US look at
the resolutions themselves. y, ie
"They start off with a Whereas, state
ments having gained currency Now,
that's great cause to base denuncia-
tory resolutions upon, isn't it? Sup
pose the society for the suppression of
nincoms' should say: Whereas, There
! are certain vague and indefinite rumors
to the effect that the ears of Mr.. Collins
averaged normal and upon that based
a Therefore, Be it resolved that he be
relegated into the order of equus
asinis,' would he consider it fair, espec-
tally if the society took snap judgment
ON him and passed the resolution be-
hind his honorable back?
''Then the resolution goes on to state
that these vague rumors are to the ef-
feet that have cast doubt upon the
ability OF Professor Coquillett; that
have stated that the people of
Southern California are Indifferent
to the introduction of para
sites; that the horticultural COM
missioners have purposely opposed their
introduction, and such stuff. 1t is not
good manners to say that gentleman is
guilty of wilful untruth, for no GENTLE
man is, but wish to say that in his
resolutions Mr.. Collins labors under a
severe attack of mental alteration, in
which facts are evidently reversed in his
mind. The only commissioner who op-
poses parasites-and he is only one,
imagine as he may that he is all-is Mr..
Collins himself, as the extract from his
letter given above will show.
What connection there is between
Prof. Coquillett and Mr.. Collins that the
latter should so interest himself in the
former, / cannot tell. Perhaps Mr.. Col
Inns may at some time in his life have
been a member of some Legislature and
learned the trick of attaching private
| bill as rider to an appropriation bill in
order to get it through, and therefore
has used the professor as rider to get
through his spiteful attack which would
not have passed otherwise.
B. M. LELoNG,
THE PALATINE INSURANCE co,