The herald., 1894-11-23
FRUIT GROWERS CONVENTION.
Pest DestrOyers a Theme OF
Discussion.
Prof. Koebele's Services t00rchard-
lists Recognized.
The Transportation Question-The Mule
Train Not Intended to
Boa Permanent
Thing.

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 22.-At this morn
ing's session of the state Fruit.Growers
convention, James E. Gordon OF SAINTS
Clara county spoke against the prickinl
of prunes. He said that pricking caused
them TO fefment.
Secretary Lelong read paper BY Prof
A. j. Cook on Insect Pests, Fungoid
Diseases and the Remedies Therefor.
The paper spoks in flattering terms oi
the work done against scale by parasitic
insects. In many districts the scale has
been annihlated. The reports said that
the writer had received from Sacramento
several branches of oranges covered with
asphidiotus perniciosus scale. Spraying
| for scale was an expensive process. and
often injured the fruit and the trees,
while the work can be done more ei-
fectively and without damage by the
vedalia cardinals or other scale destroy
ing insects which may be had for the
| asking.
The next paper was by 7. n. Snow OF
| Santa Barbara upon the same subject.
1t was read by Secretary Lelong and
went exhaustively into the history oil
| the introduction OF insect pests from
Australia into Europe more than 2o0
years ago. The paper told OF the good
work performed by Mr.. koebele in bring
ing from Australia and giving to Caliior-
MIA the vedalia cardinals. At the last
session of the legislature a protest was
filed by interested parties against SENDS
! ing Mr.. Koebels to Australia again, and
by means of false representations by
persons interested in spraying and fuml-
eating compounds and apparatus, the
Legislature was induced to refuse to ap-
propriate money to send MIR. koebele
back again. He is now in Australia on
behalf OF the Hawaiian government COL
lecting beneficial insects, and he has re-
ported the discovery OF "a varieties in
one orchard alone.
The next paper was on the same sub
jeot by j. F. Mcintyre.
A. Brambler of Santa Clara county
suggested that Mr.. Shows language
with respect to persons who had pre-
vented the Legislature from sending Mr..
Koebsle to Australia should be stricken
out of the report.
The language, he said. was undigni.
fed and severe, and was reviving dead
quarrel of two years ago.
Mr.. Sprague OF Los Angeles made a
motion to the same effect, and the mo.
tion prevailed.
The next paper on the subject OF pest
destroyers, was read by Alexander Crow,
state entomologisr. Mr.. Crow said that
after exhaustng all the resources oi
modern chemistry in the way of waeh-
ings, fumigetions and gases, il was sug'
gested that II there was not come cause
in nature at work against these pests,
they would have multiplied 30 fast that
no fruit tree on the Pacific coast would
be alive today. Then Prof. Koebele was
cent to Australia, the home of the scale,
to discover the parasite that kept
the scale from multiplying indefinitely,
and the result was that California &C
quired the vedalia cardinals. The state
of Massachusetts expended $500, 900 in
three years to get rid of a single variety
of scale by means OF washes and fumi-
cations, but had been unable to do go,
because that state had not secured any
parasite insects from abroad. Care
ehould be taken iE introducing pest
destroyers from foreign countries, be.
cause these beneficial parasites have
also their enemies, who destroy them.
These collections should be always made
by experts.
w. Egbert Smith OF Napa read a
paper on experiments with root knot.
He had successfully treated the disease
with a saturated solution of bluestone.
Mr.. Sprague submitted to the conven.
ton a sample of Russian thistle found
by him near Antelope station. In one
year it had extended for more than a
mile. He believed that the seed had
been dropped from the cars. This
thistle ie an annual. 1t dries up in the
fall aud, like tumble weed, rolled over
the country before the wind and scstters
ite seed. 1t has depopulatod certain
portions of North Dakota.
Alexander Crow, quarantine guardian
OF the state. spoke OF the white scale
recently found on trees imported from
Japan, Jamaica and elsewhere. 1t is
very destructive. He cautioned fruit
growers to look out for it. There is aleo
q large scale on cameliaD and other orna-
mental plants.
r. d. Stephens OF Sacramento pre-
sided this afternoon in the absence OF
President Buck.
Secretary Coghlan, OF the state board
OF equalization, informed the convention
that farmers do not take sufficient in
.erest in reporting data to their county
assessors for the Information OF persons
in the east and elsewhere. Circulars
were sent to the farmers four years ago
requesting them to furnish such infor.
nation, but the information returned
was so meager that be had received in
quiries from the east asking whether
Alameda and Santa Clara were fruit
producing counties or not.
A resolution by Hutchins of Yuma,
protesting against the use Of public
referred to the committee.
A discussion ensueG on the value OF
irrigation. Knox of Amador said his
prize peaches were irrigated every day,
and instead of raising couple of hun
dred small peaches, he raised a hundred
large peaches that always sold for
the highest price. He irrigated when
ever he eaw the ground getting dry. Ont
OF box picked from one tree, there was
not one that weighed less than a pound
and quarter. He also pruned his peach
trees thoroughly every year and also
tbinDed his fruit. His peaches sold in
San Francisco for IS cents per box,
while unirrigated peaches from the same
district brought in San Francisco from
% to 80 ceute. He sold his peaches this
year for 2 cents a pound.
Ii was announced that the American
Pathological society will meet in Sacrs-
mento in January.
General Chapman read paper on the
evil of too much wheat growing, in
which he said that increased transporta
tion facilities had done more than any
n lao tn hn ol