The record-union., 1897-02-28
Interesting Paper on the Subject by Secretary
Lelong Of the California Board,

=. NJ. Lelong of the California Horti-
cultural Society has prepared long
and interesting paper to be read at the
national convention of horticultural
and agricultural societies, experiment
station officers, etc, to meet in Wash
iEgton on March 9TH.
Secretary Lelong's paper is on The
Inspection of Trees, Plants, Fruits.
etc, as Conducted Under the Laws of
California" The chief portions of the
paper are given below, emitting ex-
tracts from the California laws on
the subject regulations of the State
Horticultural Society," long statistics,
etc. Secretary Lelong says:
Gentlemen: In compliance with a re-
quest from your President, f. H.
Cushman I submit herewith this pa
Ter, giving the methods of inspection
and operation of the laws relative to
the protection and promotion of the
horticultural interests in California.
In order that the subject may be fully
understood, a short synopsis of the his
tory of the State Board of Horticult-
ure and its creation becomes neces-
sary.
CREATION OF THE STATE BOARD.
Prior to 1880 there were no laws to
prevent the introduction of pests on
trees. plants, fruit, etc, from foreign
countries or the Eastern States, and
very little was at that time known by
the fruit-growers of the injury done
by these enemies to fruit culture, until
those that were so introduced began
to play great havoc with the orchards
and their crop. Among the insects
first introduced were the San Jose scale
(Aspidiotus perniciosus). the cottony
cushion scale Qcerya purchasD. the red
scale (Aspidiotus aurantiD the yellow
scale (ASpidiotuS citrinuS) the oyster
shell scale (Mytilaspis pOmorum), and
the woody aphis (Schizoneura lanigera)
and others.
The need of establishing a State
Board of Horticulture and the enact
nlent of protective quarantine laws be-
came apparent through the damage
and annual loss sustained from these
pests. and in 1881 an advisory board
was appointed to look after the horti-
cultural interests and take the neces-
sary protective measures. In 1888 the
State Board of Horticulture was Gre
ated by law, quarantine laws were en-
acted and the present status of the
fruit industry in this State is largely
Cue to it's efforts. The State has ap-
propriated $4,000 annually for the
prosecution of its work.
At the beginning the enforcement of
the quarantine laws met with great op-
position, which continued until they
became better understood.
In the first case, before a Justice
Court to enforce the disinfection of re-
turn packages, the court ruled that 1t
was "a strange law and unconstitu-
tional''
After years of hard struggle with our
Legislatures we succeeded in having
laws enacted that have stood the tests
OF our courts, and now it would be al
most impossible under our present
quarantine system for injurious insect
pests to obtain a foothold and commit
the devastation that many such pests
did before we had the present laws.
HORTICULTURAL LAWS.
In 1888 the general law creating the
State Board of Horticulture provided
that said board be constituted of nine
Commissioners to be appointed by the
Governor. covering as many districts,
they to determine by lot the length Of
their terms (short and long), four to
'
q long term (four years. and all APP
pointments to be thereafter made for
four years. Thelaw empowered the board
to appoint an Inspector of Fruit Pests
and a Secretary.
The board was also empowered to
pass quarantine regulations, under the
general law, to be binding on all per-
sons. The law relative to the Inspector
s~fa, a,fef.A
as he had no discretionary powers, and
in 1889 was amended providing for a
Secretary of said board, and he to be
ex-officio Chief Horticultural officer of
the State. who has the management
and direction of affairs while the board
is not in session, and TO whom all Off
GERS must report
The office of Quarantine officer was
also created. who has charge Of the
enforcement Of the quarantine laws
and whose duty it is b inspect all
steamers and sailing vessels arriving
from foreign PORTS. He is provided
with one or more deputies when needed.
Special agents are hired for special
work as required.
COUNTY BOARDS.
In 1881, an Act was passed by the
Legislature, which provides that
whenever a petition is presented 10
the Board of Supervisors of any county
and signed by twenty-five or more per
sons who are resident freeholders and
gossessors of an orchard, or both, stat
ing that certain or all orchard or nurse
rfes or trees Of any variety are infested
with scale insects Of any kind. injurious
to fruit fruit trees and vines. Goblin
moth. or other insects, that are de-
struative to trees and praying that
Commission be appointed by them,
whose duty Il shall be to supervise
their destruction. the Beard of Super
visors shall within twenty days there
after select three commissioners for the
county TO be known as County Board
of Horticultural Commissioners.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS.
The laws and regulations promu-
gated by the State Board Of Horticul-
aure have been enforced without fear
or favor. both by the State authorities
and County Commissioners. The va
1jdjty of all the Acts passed has been
questioned and in suits brought, their
constitutionality las been upheld by
dhe courts.
Inspection of Steamers, Etc.-In
order to prevent the possible introduc-
1ion of new pests into our State on
plants and trees brought here by pas
sengers and importers from foreign
countries, great precaution has been
exercised. The Quarantine Officer is
stationed at the port OF San francisco,
and under the regulations of the Board
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