The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-23
illusions to Legislation That
Were Objectionable.
SHOWS COMMENT STRICKEN OUT
Value of Irrigation in Raising
Peaches Described to the
Convention.

convention James E. Gordon of Santa
Clara spoke against the pricking of prunes.
He said that the pricking caused them to
ferment.
Secretary Lelong read a paper by Pro-
fessor A. j. Cook on Insect Pests, Fun
gold Diseases and Remedies Therefor"
The paper spoke in fatterng terms of the
Work done against the scale by parasitic
been annihlated. The report said that the
writer had received from Sacramento sew
eral branches of oranges covered with the
Aspidiotus perniciosu scale. Spraying for
The scale was an expensive process and
often injured the fruit and trees, while the
work can be done more effectively and
without damage by he Vedalla cardinals
or other destroying insects which may
be had for the asking.
The next paper was by T. n. Snow of
Santa Barbara upon the same snbject. II
was read by Secretary Lelong and went
extensively into the history, of the intro
duction of the insect pests from Australia
into Europe over twenty years ago. The
paper told of the good work performed
by Mr.. Koebele in bringing from Australia
and giving to California the Vedalia cardi-
nails. At the last session of the Legisa-
ture protest was filed by interested par
ties against the sending of Mr.. Koebele 10
Australia again, and by means of false
representations by persons interested In
spraying and fumigaIing compounds and
apparatus the LEGISLATURE was induced to
refuse 10 appropriate money TO send Mr..
koebele back again. He is now in Aus
tralia on behalf of the Hawaiian Govern
ment, collecting beneficial insecs, and he
has reported the discovery of twenty-fo ur
varieties in one orchard alone.
The next paper was on the same subject,
by J. T. Mcintyre.
Abram Block of Santa Cara suggested
that Mr.. Shows language with respect to
persons who had prevented the Legislature
from sending Mr.. Koebele should be
stricken out of the report. The language
was undigniied and severe and was reviv-
ing dead quarrel OF two years ago.
Mr.. Sprague of Los Angeles made mo-
ton to the same effect, and the motion
prevailed.
The next paper, on the subject of "Pest
Destroyers," was read by Alexander Craw,
State Entomologist. Mr.. Craw said that
after eXhausting all the resources Of mod
ern chemistry in the way of washings,
fumigauons and gases, it was suggested
that If there was not some cause in
nature at work against those pests they
would have multiplied so fast that no
fruit tree on the Pacific Coast would be
alive to-day Then Professor Koebele
was sent to Australia the home of the
scale, 10 discover parasite that kept
the scale from multiplying indefinitely,
and the result was that California ac-
quired the VedaIia cardinals. The State
of Massachusetts expended $500, 900 in
three years to get rid of q single variety Of
scale by means of washes and fumIgatons,
but had been unable to do so because til at
State had not secured any parasite in
sects from abroad. Care should be taken
in introducing pest-destroyers from for
eign countries, because these beneficial
parasites have also their enemies who de-
stroy them. These collections should be
always made by experts.
". Egbert Smith If Napa read a paper
on exper iments with the root knot. He
had successfully treated the disease with
a saturated solution of bluestoue.
Mr.. Sprague submitted 10 the convention
sample of Russian thistle found by him
near Antelope station. In one year 1t had
extended for more than mile. He be-
lieved that the seed had been dropped
from the cars. This thistle is an annual.
1t dries up in the fall and like a tumb BILE
wesd rolls over the country before the
wind and scatters its seed. 1t has epopu-
lated certain portions of Dakota.
Alexander Craw, quarantine guardian of
the State, spoke of the white scale recent Y
found Oh trees imported from Japan, Ja-
maica and elsewhere. 1t is very destruc-
tive. He cautioned fruit-growers to look
out for it. There is also large scale on
camellias and other ornamental plants.
r. D. Stephens of Sacramento presided
this afternoon in the absence of President
Buck. Secretary Coghlan of the State
Board of Equalization informed the con-
vention that farmers do not take sufficient
interest in reporting data to their County
Assessors for information of persons in
he East and elsewhere. Circulars were
sent to the farmers four years ago request
ing them to furnish such Information, but
the information returned was so meager
that he had received inquiries from the
East asking whether Alameda and Santa
Clara were fruit-produeing counties or
not.
A resolution by Hutchins of Yuba pro-
testing against the use OF public money
for building debris dams was referred to
the committee.
discussion ensued on the value of irri
cation. Knox of Amador said his prize
peaches were irrigated every day, and
instead of raising couple of hundred
small peaches he raised a hundred large
peaches. that always sold for the highest
price. He irrigated whenever the ground
was dry. Out of box picked from one
tree there was not one that weighed less
than pound and quarter. He always
oruned his peach trees thoroughly every
year, and also thinned his fruit. His
peaches sold in San Francisco for IS cents
per box, while peaches from the same
district not irrigated brought in San Fran
cisco from % 10 80 cents. He sold his
peaches this year for cents pound.
1t was announced that the American
Pathological Society will meet in Sacra:
mento in January.
General Chapman read paper on the
evil of too much wheat-growing, in which
he said that increased transportation IA