The record-union., 1897-10-06
MORE ABOUT FRUIT PESTS.
REPORTS RECEIVED FROM
THREE COUNTIES.
Filled Recently With the State
Board OF Horticult-

Secretary B. NJ. Lelong of the State
Board of Horticulture has received re-
ports from the Boards Of Horticultural
Commissioners of Los Angeles, San Di-
ego and Tehama Counties. They are Of
great interest to horticulturists all over
the State and are as follows:
LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
To the Honorable State Board of Hor-
ficulture-Gen We, the Horti-
cultural Commissioners of Los Angeles
County, have the honor to submit for
your consideration, the following re-
port:
On the first day of May last we were
Installed as Horticultural Commis-
Eioners Of this county, and assumed
the duties of the Office. A general in
Epection of the orchard sections Of the
county was made by US during the first
month, for the purpose of dividing the
county into convenient districts for in
Epection. 1t was found that the pur-
pile scale (Mytflaspis citricola) existed
in several orchards and after being To-
Gated, a complete list of such places
were kept; the same course being pur-
sued in respect to other scale and in
sect pests destructive to fruit ana fruh
trees with the result that the COM
mission formulated a plan Of work for
the destruction of orchard pests in the
manner most effective, cost consld-
cred. After consulting with owners OF
anfested orchards, they were advised
TO aid in the good work by spraying,
3umigating, or taking such other meas
ures as would he suggested by the COM
mission. They have responded quite
generally, with the result, that at the
present writing, the destruction Of Or
Chard pests in Los Angeles County is
something unprecedented.
We have collected and distributed
over 10000 of the parasite, Rhizobius
ventralis for the black scale, and be-
Aieve in time they will prove a great
friend to the fruit grower in Destroy
'sng this pest. This parasite has been
distributed in $40 orchards, widely
separated, We have had calls for, and
supplied, nineteen colonies of the par
asite Vedalia cardinals, for the cot
7ony cushion, or white scale; which still
exists in a few places. The mealy
bug Oactylopius destructor) was found
TO be an orchard pest at Monrovia, and
TO some extent near Downey. Black
scale Oecanium olea) was found a cit
rus tree pest throughout the county;
with the possible exception of the San
Fernando Valley, which locality ap-
pears practically free from insect pests
of all kinds
Inspectors have been at work in the
orchards most seriously infested, re-
porting the condition of same, both to
the owners and to the horticultural
Commission. There have been 2048 or
chards, etc, so reported to date.
Fumigation has been progressing for
several weeks in the orchards in and
near Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glen
dora, COvina, and Sierra Madre, at the
rate of from 1000 to 5000 trees per
might, and Will be so continued to the
end Of the season. There are from 500
40 600 tents, all using hydrocyanic acid
gas, made only from the very best Of
chemicals. There has been fumigated
SO far this season 139, 900 trees, and the
end is not yet, many thousands more
would be funigated could tents be had.
Commissioner J. NJ. Thomas has had
this territory under his personal super
vision. Spraying has been, and is still,
in a measure, resOrted to; and with very
beneficial results; in fact, we have good
reason to look forward to time when
all scale pests are exterminated, or at
least so reduced in numbers as to be
easy of control; 1S5,000 trees have
been sprayed to date.
Fruits infested with red scale (Aoni-
dia aurantiD have been rigidly quaran-
tined and dealers made to understand
that the handling of fruits so infested
would not be tolerated; and to-day, Los
angeles fruit stalls contain nothing but
clean fruit, with the exception of a lit
i7le San Jose scale and Goblin moth in
festing apples and pears; which will
ebe eradicaJed in the near future. In
'the city of Los Angeles, as well as in
many other localities, hundreds of old
trees have been cut down, that were
mot worth cleaning, and such work is
still going on. We have eight compe
tent Inspectors at work in localities
where scale and other insect pests are
most prevalent, and complete unani-
unity exists in our department. The
destruction Of orchard and fruit pests
is our only theme, and we believe that
success must crown our efforts.
Steamers plying between San Fran
cisco and Mexican and South Ameri-
ican ports, stopping at ports in this
county, are inspected each trip, to see
that no insect pests injurious to plants
or fruits are introduced.
The several railroads operating in
Los Angeles County, have kindly re-
sponded to our requests, in notifying
of the arrival or shipment of commedi-
ties coming under our jurisdiction.
Fruit Exchanges, commission houses,
and others dealing in fruits and fruit
trees, have quite generally signified a
desire to obey our injunctions as to the
handling, or dealing in infested stock,
and we feel quite satisfied with the
work accomplished so far.
We have received from your Secre-
tary, B. n. Lelong. a quantity of State
Reports 9th bienniaD which We take
great pleasure in distributing where
they viii do the most good. United
States Senator Stephen NJ. White also
forwarded to our office several hundred
copies of the United States Agricultur-
al Department; year books for 1898,