The record-union., 1897-09-30
The ORCHARDlSTS' ENEMIES.
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE
TO CONTEND WITH.
Reports Of horticultural Commis-
sioners of San Bernard1no anu
Santa Barbara

Secretary Lelong of the State Hort-
cultural Commission has received tNs
annual reports of the HORTICULTURAL
Commissions of san Bernardlno ana
Santa. Barbara Counties. Although at
the further end of our great state liley
contain much that viii be of interest
to the fruit growers of this and nelgh-
boring counties, as viii be seen lfOlil
perusals. They are as follows;
To the Honorable the State Board OF
Horticulture-Gen with the
Horticultural Commission of this eoun-
ty the past year has been proIlIlc IN
the matter of making changes, anu II
naturally follows that to certain eA-
tent this is a bar to progress After
the legisIating out Of office all the
Horticultural Commissions in the state
last March our Board Of supervisors
e.reanized a new commission by the
appointment Of Messrs. Cave, curtis
and Pease on May 4, 1897, and on the
same date the commission organized py
electing S. A. Pease as Chairman ana
r. II. Curtis as Secretary. From that
date to the present the commission IS
IN excellent working condition, all the
members being in harmony to the same
end.
Undoubtedly one Of our greatest men
aces to the fruit industry is the impor-
tation of injurious insect pests on trees,
shrubs, ETC., from outside the county
and State. We have no trouble IN keep
ing Ice1ya purchase in subjection by
means Of Vedalia cardinals and Novius
koellei, which are perfect parasites In
their line With the red scale, aspldlo-
tus aurantii, 1t is a far different PROB
lem, the only available method of re-
ducing it being by means Of the hydro
cyanic acid gas. Using this method
we have been very successful and have
very few OF the pests left to trouble
our orchards.
The black scale proves to be our most
serious pest. from the fact that it out
numbers all the other pests combined.
We have used our best endeavors to
exterrninate this pest by introducing
colonies Of Rhizobius ventralis for four
successive years, but without good re-
suits. It is still possible that this lady
bird may gradually become acclimated
to our dry interior climate as did the
Lecanium oleae ((see State horticultural
report for 1888, page ID. While await
ing such an event we have resorted to
systematic fumigation as the owners OF
orchards in the western portion OF the
county were almost unanimous in de-
manding that the Horticultural Com
mission do something to afford them
relief
We fumigate orchards in solid bodies,
leaving no infested trees or orchards
among them to Immediately reinfest
the surrounding groves. If Lecanium
oleae could be kept in subsection upon
olive and citrus trees, we would have
very little trouble from the infeSting
of orchards with this scale from the
pepper, laurel and other trees of their
kind, as in our experience the latter
trees only become infested after our
orchards are fully stocked with the
pest, consequently these might be term
ed an overflow. We are continually
receiving proof that the work of the
Horticultural Commission would be
materially advanced if all orchardists
would lend their willing assistance in
stead of keeping under cover, as much
as possible, the inroads of serious pests
until their orchards become so thor
oughly infested as to make it a very
difficalt task to eradicate them. We
are also frequently reminded by ar
tieles from the press of the imminent
danger of our orchards becoming in
tested with that most serious of all
pests, ,Trypeta ludens, or Mexican orange
worm, and unless an organized effort is
made to keep Mexican oranges out of
our State disastrous results are sure
to follow. We strongly urge a national
quarantine law as a means of prOtec-
ton against this and all other serious
pests that as yet have not obtained a
foothold here.
While our Eastern people appear to
be having serious trouble with the San
Jose scale, Aspidiotus pernisciosus, we
have been enjoying a respite from their
ravages. For several years this pest
has been reduced to a minimum,
in fact, so nearly exterminated
that people have inclined to the belief
that it had ceased to be a pest. At
present it seems to be on the increase
in many localities, and we feel sure will
again demand our serious attention,
unless some natural enemy interfere to
check their further progress.
We have found a number of lemon
orchards in which the fruit is slightly
infested with Aspidiotus neril How
serious this pest might prove if un-
restrained, is to us a, problem, as au-
the1tic writings on this subject, so far
as we are aware, are very meager. We
shall take no great chances with them
however, but shall resort to fumiga-
ton wherever they appear. In all mat
ters Of this kind we sail under the
banner, mo truce"
From all over this section come re-
ports that the vine disease is worse
than at any time since 1894, due prob
ably to local conditions in the past
year
We have been confirmed in our opin-
ion that indiscriminate transportation
Of picking boxes from orchard TO or
chard and from infested sections with
out fumigation has been a source OF
great and unnecessary trouble through
the spreading of insect pests. We have
posted notices in all packing houses
and at ether conspicuous places calling
attention to the law requiring all sucf
boxes TO be disinfected previous to be
ing again used.
We have seen plants which came
through the postoffice from Florida thi.
season that were badly infected witt