The San Francisco call., 1896-08-28
Professor Cooks Valuable Sug-
gestions to Fruit Growers
and Shippers.
]. s. CLARK ON SMALL FRUITS.
Cooperation Is Urged in Order That
Producers May Protect Them.
selves.

SAN DIEGO. CAL, Aug. 2.-The second
day of the State Farmers Institute at Ell
Caion was full of interest to all in attend
ance. There were valuable papers on sew
eral topics of vital importance to fruit
growers and shippers.
The first paper of importance after the
question-box had been opened and the
many subjects discussed was Professor A.
]. Cooks essay on insects. He gave the
formula of his best kerosene emulsion as
follows; Fifty gallons of water, twelve
and half pounds of whaleoil soap, heat
to boiling point, add twenty-five gallons
of kerosene and then add 225 gallons of
water.
Professor Cook dwelt upon the fact that
all insects are not pests, and urged upon
parents the need of so educating their
children that they will know at a glance
the use and purpose of every insect COM
monty met He gave very interesting e1-
amples of the different types and their
mode of subsistence. Thus, the preda-
ceous insect attacks his enemy and at
once proceeds to devour him. An example
of this class is the vedalia cardinals,
which has been so useful in disposing of
scale. Another type is the chalcid fly,
which lays her eggs in the enemy and
then allows time and her successors to
work out results.
He spoke of the good done by the
rhigabius in Cooper's olive orchard at
Santa Barbara and thought its lack of
success in some places might be dae to
certain conditions of climate or temper
ature.
A Pasadena expert, ]. s. Clark, fur
nished a valuable paper on small fruits,
in which he says the grower must first
have good soil and plenty OF water. For
blackberries take mellow soil, summer
prune close and water between rows; too
much water will make soft fruit. He
would have the rows ten feet apart and
plants five feet apart in rows, or if he had
plenty of room plant SxS or 10x10. Gran
dali is his favorite. Raspberries need a
medium heavy soil. Cuth burtis very good.
Loudon and Golden Queen are new, but
seem to be valuable. Black Caps are no
good in California. The Logan berry is a
good ylelder and promises well. Goose
berries and currants are not very good.
Strawberries are surest for market crop.
Monarch of the West is good bearer
from mountains to sea, but soft for mar
ket. Arizona everbearing is partial to a
loose, warm soil. 1t is good at Pasadena
At La Mesa they bear from February to
Move mber.
at the afternoon session Captain A.
Green of National City gave an ex-
cellent paper on Marketing Fruits" He
said hard times were not local, but that
good fruit could always be sold. He spoke
of honest packing, and said the top layer
should never be better that the balance
of the package. T. II. B. Cham blin
of Riverside, who organized the first ex-
changes at Riverside, spoke upon "Fruit
Exchanges" and gave good reasons why
cooperation was the only reasonable way
for the producers to protect themselves.
s. G. Dondore of Alpine gave very in
teresting paper on "Growing Everything
for the Garden" and showed conclusively
that rancher could every day in the
year have an excellent variety of vegetables
for home use at small cost. He also spoke
of the Logan berry, and thought it a valu-
able acquisition.
In the question-box several questions of
minor Importance were asked and an
swered. The best time to prune lemons
for heavy summer crop is thought to be
from October to December.
Professor Wickson took up "The Agri-
cultural Uses of the Imagination" and
handled the subject in scholarly way.