The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-04
Urge His Appointment by Major
Mckinley as Secretary of
Agriculture.
The State Convention Favors the I'm.
portation of Pest.Destroying
Insects.

senator William Johnston introduced
resolution reciting that as California was
great fruit-producing State 1t ought to
be represented in the Cabinet and indors-
ing President Ellwood Cooper of Santa
Barbara County for Secretary of Agrieul-
ture. 1t was unanimously adopted.
A resolution was also adopted calling
upon Congress to take immediate steps to-
ward the construction of the Nicaragua
canal and ordering the resolution trans
mitted to Congress bv the secretary of the
State Board of Horticulture.
The committee on the presidents adj
dress reported indorsing the presidents
suggestion that pest-destroying parasites
be imported, and suggested that the
Legislature be asked for an appropriation
of $4,000 per annum for the purpose to
be used by the State Board of Horticul-
ture and $4,000 per annum to help the
board carry on its work. The report was
unanimously adopted.
An essay on "Peach-tree Borers" by
Alexander Craw was read by the secre-
tary. This paper stated that this insect
was one of the most disastrous enemies of
the fruit-grower. An effort must be made
to prevent the larvae being deposited on
the trees. Sulphur and lime was the best
remedy for this. The eggs would not live
when deposited in the bark if this white
wash were used. A general discussion fol-
lowed this paper.
N. w. Motheral said the Goblin moth
attacked nothing but Bartlett pears, and
he thought it must be guided by smell or
instinct. Very little was known about
this and it was very desirable to know
more. He said that an application of lime,
sulphur and salt in December would
destroy the little insect which bores into
peaches at the twig, and that "sheep dip"
sprayed on cattle would kill the Texas
tick.
w. Egbert Smith of Napa read paper
on Additional Notes on the Treatment
of the Root Knot" He said a solution of
bluestone would kill the knot without in
juring the tree, but he had not been able
TO find the cause OF the disease. Many
writers contend that the disease is due to
congestion OF sap.
William Barry of Niles prepared a paper
on the COLONIZATION of the Rhizobius in
Alameda County," which was read for
him by the secretary. 1t was considered
very valuable paper. Barry states that for
many years the fruIt-growers of Alameda
County have been annoyed by the ''hiack
scale" and "brown apricot scale" these
being the only real detriment to the fruit
growing interests of the county. The cost
of washes had always been a great xpense
yet the scale seemed to increase and
smutty trees and fruit resulted. Many
orchardists would have given up in de-
spair had not fruit commanded good
price.
When the price went down many
stopped spraying. In 1894 the Rhizobius
ventralis was available and proved 10 be
Moses to the fruit-grower. The colonies
increased so that this year ne was able to
distribute several hundred from one small
grove of orange trees belonging to H.
Crowell of Irvington. They also migrated
to another grove quarter of q mile away,
where thew are as mum erous. His requisi- |
ton for 300 boxes in which to distribute
the beetles had been honored by the Su-
pervisors. Mr.. Crowell has thousands of
OF the Rhizobius to spare. The Rhizobius |
toowoombe have likewise increased. |
Lack of faith and Impotence of results |
had to be contended with in introducing |
the insects. II. E. Mosher could not find |
them the next year. but the second year |
he found them in large numoers with |
beneficial results.
The Rhizobius had also been placed |
with great success in the orchard of DR.. |
Kimball OF Haywards, who is an enthu- |
siast in the matter. The Larvae we're found |
III MI. 0cck OICudIQ d nll6 away. al |
though none OF the beetles had been placed |
there. In placing the beetles in decidu- |
Gus trees Mr.. Barry recon mended small |
bundles of short cornstalks in tree
crotches, the stalks with the husks on. |
and in lieu of them rags or sacks are the |
best substitute. Branches of weeds will |
help to protect them during the winter |
months.
The first paper. of the afternoon session
was Dy Ed M. Ehrhorn of Mountain View |
on "Leaf-eating Caterpillar s." He said |
after the first spraying with paris green |
the pest usually disappeared and could be |
successfully fought by Manipulating or
paris green.
Professor S. M. Wood bridge OF Los An
geies talked on aPlant Foods and Science.
Chemically illustrated" He said there |
ought to be law IN this State requiring a |
manufacturer to put on each bag of fer
tilizer just what amount of phosphate it
contained, and if he didn't do it put him
in jail. This was applauded.
This talk was very scientific. It mysti-
fed many fruit-growers. Major Berry of
Visalia was one of them. He took shot
at Wood bridge, saying he hadn't learned
anything from the scientific talk. What |
he wanted was practical information that
would be of some benefit to him.
Colonel Berry then proceeded to tell the
convention what he called few plain
1
him of a mutual admiration society.
Members had sat in the Senate chamber
three days talking and smiling at each
other, and the only practical solution of
fruit-growers troubles he had heard in
three days was by Mr.. Stable, who yester-
day proposed an organization of fruit
growers. He proceeded to say that it was
high time the fruit srowers did some
thing besides meeting year after year to
no purpose. Colonel Berry was squelched
on point of order.
Vice. President D. G. Fowler moved that
the recon mendations made in the excel
lent paper read yesterday by E. F. Adams
Of Wrights on 1.-THE Feasibility of Estap-
fishing Free Market in San Francisco"
be Endorsed by the convention. He made
an energetic speech in support of the mo-
ton, saying it was matter of great i'm
portance. The motion carried unan-
mously. The paper suggests the getting
together of committees from the
California and San Francisco Fruit {
Exchanges, the railroads and also
The State Harbor Commission on
The subject, and that the Harbor Commits |
sion be gwen more power necessary to
bring it about.
Jonathan Begg of San Diego, who claims |
20 have mechanical device by which | {
frf1i kar @,1 !, | ,