The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-07
The State Board Of HORTICULTURE
Put on the Rack.
Southern California Filings Back It's
Recent Snub With Interest.
The Association or horticultural Ulcers
Adopt String OF Resolutions
Full of Very Pointed
Observations.


cisco, April rs, has aroused the fruit
growers and united them in a general
uprising against the dictatorial and high
handed warfare the board is threatening
to make against this portion of thestate.
Since it could not have its own way in
securing the appropriation to further the
search of predacious and psraeitical in
sects in foreign lands, introduced in the
late legislature, it is going to be avenged
upon the fruit growers of this section by
decapitating the several horticultural
commissioners OF Southern California.
Why? Because they were instrumental
in having the bill 80 amended as to have
the money disbursed under the direction
OF the state university in case it had
passed.
The association of Horticultural Com
missioners of Southern California held q
meeting in the chamber OF commerce
rooms yesterday, and to cay that they
went for" the state board of horticul-
ture would but mildly express it. The
several commissions of the southern
counties were well represented, and
there were also present a number of the
leading fruit growers of this and the
adjoining counties. The entire history
Of the state boards actions during the
past year were thoroughly discussed,
and finally the following resolutions
were unanimously adopted, each COM
missioner signing his name to them in
full:
Whereas, The state board of horticul-
ture, at its annual meeting in San Fran
cisco, held on April 20, 1899, declared
that the defeat of the bill, in the last
legislature, appropriating $4,000 to fur
Their the search for predaceous insects,
was due wholly and solely to the petit
ton signed by 700 fruit growers of
Southern California, praying that the
discussed for the object named under
the governor, or the division of ento.
plology at Washington therefore, be it
Resolved by the Association Horticul-
tural Commissioners of Southern Cali
fornia, in convention assembled in Los
Angeles, May 5, 1893, that the fruit
growers are in no way responsible for
the defeat Of the bill. On the contrary,
they endorsed and pleaded for Its pas
sage, on the following grounds, stated in
the petition:
sThat we not only commend, but
warmly endorse, the efforts made by
your honorable body in making appro-
priatione from time to time for the pur-
pose of sending expert economic ento-
mologists to foreign countries in search
OF predaceous and parasitical insects to
feed upon those that are iniugioua to
our UlCfIurdu and garuens, and that we
shall appreciate and help and endorse
every legitimate effort to colonize and
introduce beneficial insects to feed upon
those of an injurious character.
THAT the appropriation of 5000 made
by your honorable body come two years
ago for this purpose, and disbursed
through the agency of the state board of
horticulture, has not only been barren
of results, bnt has indirectly proved an
injury rather than benefit. The en-
deavors OF the state beard OF horticul-
ture to import predaceous insects and
parasitical insects to feed upon the red
and black scales and woolly aphis, from
Australia (not the natural home OF these
insects) resulted, as every scientific en-
tomologist predicted it would. in failure.
Nevertheless, in the face of these facts,
the state board of horticulture indirectly
caused reports to be circulated to the
effect that its importations of predaceous
and parasitical insects of the red and
black scale and woolly aphis would rem
der artificial means no longer necessary
to subjugate these pests.
"That in view of these facts we, your
petitioners, are fully endorsing the bill
introducedappropristinga sum OF money
tostill further continue the search for pre-
dacecus and parasitical insects in foreign
countries, nevertheless feel constrained
to protest against any more moneys be-
ing turned over to or expended by the
state board of horticulture
The state board further alleges that
the fruit growers and horticultural COM
miseioners have fRleely and maliciously
charged the ssid board with incompe-
tencys
The charges Of incompetency made
against the board are borne out by the
facts, viz: The natural enemies of the
red and black scale and woolly aphis are
not to be found in Australia, country
to which these pests are not native; that
the statements made by the officers of
the board, both by word of mouth and
otherwise, that these parasitical and
predaceouH insects are rendering artifi-
cial means unnecessary in that country
are false in every particular; that the
reports issued by the board are unrelia-
Bile and their contents "cribbed" from
other eources-practicing a species Of
literary piracy-that the board has been
guilty of attacking persons engaged in
similar lines OF investigation on false
grounds and for purely personal reasons !;
that it's statistical reports on the fruit
industry are unreliable and misleading,
and therefore worthless. For evidence
OF these chsrges we aek the reader to
consult its reports, while for proof Of the
statement that the board did declare
artificial means in fighting these scales
would be no longer necessary after they
had become established" to the report
OF Albert Koebele endorsed by the
board), and to the statement of Presi-
dent Elwood Cooper at the San jose
meeting, both of which were gu bee
ouently expuneed from the minutes OF
this meeting,
The state board falsely and malicious
" gives it's appreciation and endorse
ment OF the statement that the defeat OF
the bill is due to the protest Of said
p6ublouofh, hbdtemtnb lhlhe III livery
particular.
The facts in the premises show thAt
when the bill was amended in The
assembly, diverting the appropriation
the state university, the friend
supporters of the state board OF ~ y
culture openly declared at Sscrameuts
that 'unlees they (the state board) can
spend the money, no appropriation
A. Ill h Il