The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-05


WASHINGTON, Feb. 4. - Secretary
Wilson has taken steps for the collec-
ton of all information obtainable in
the Department of Agriculture bearing
on the shipment of fresh fruit to the
German Empire. This is preliminary to
any action which may be found neces-
sary after full official information as to
the scope Of the decree of prohibition
is obtained. In the absence of such in
formation the Secretary manifests a
Discrimination to talk about the matter
for publication, but when full data is
at hand he will probably direct an in
vestigation into the question of the
shipment of fruit and the danger, IL
any. of its being infested with pests
that will do harm after they are fully
developed.
In connection with the current dis
cussion of Prussia's action, some refer
ence has been made to what is known
as the San Jose scale. "a pest said 10
heve been imported into California
from abroad. There is, it is stated, per-
haps no insect capable of causing great
CT damage to fruit interests in the
United States than this insect. Outside
the United States the insect is known
to occur in Australia, Chile and Ha-
wall. and the inference is that it was
introduced here from one Of those
countries.
The spread of the scale from the point
of original infestation in the San Jose
Valley has been somewhat rapid, and
its area is increasing in every direction,
but more rapidly toward the West and
North 1t spread throughout California
and Oregon to Washington, Idaho, Ne
vada, Arizona and Mexico and later
manifested itself in Virginia, Maryland,
Indiana, and Pennsylvania and other
places in the East. The pest is said to
spread relentlessly and steadily over all
deciduous fruit trees, covering limbs,
foliage and the fruit 1t is only queS-
ton of two or three years before the
death Of the plant attacked is brought
about, and the possibility of injury,
which from experience with other scale
enemies of deciduous plants might be
easily ignored or thought insignificant.
is soon startlingly demonstrated.
The present appearance which the
scale presents is that Of a grayish.
slightly rough, scruffy deposit. The
natural rich. reddish color of the young
limbs of peach, pear and apple trees are
thickly infested, and they have then
the appearance of being coated with
ashes Fruit severely attacked becomes
distorted. rough and pitted, frequently
cracking and may eventually fail pre-.
maturely or at least become unmarked
able. The scale is frequently carried
about on fruit, there being cases on rec
ord where California pears and apples.
found on investigation to be infested
with male and female scales, have been
bought from fruit stalls in various parts
of the country.
MINISTER WHITE LODGES An
OTHER PROTEST.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1.-The State
Department has been notified by EN-
bassador White, at Berlin, of the modi-
fication of the original decree issued py
the Prussian Minister of Finance, DR..
Miguel, prohibiting the importation OF
American fruit. According to the En-
bassador's cable to-day the decree does
not, as he advised yesterday, apply TO
dried fruits, while fresh fruit will be
admitted to entry if an examination
shows its condition to be satisfactory.
If this modification has been made IN
the decree, it would appear that the
prompt representations made by the
United States have received an equally
prompt consideration on the other size.
It is certain that if the decree, as or
iginaily promulgated, had been applied
to shipments of fruit in transit, as its
terms indicated, the shippers would
have had a right to claim indemnity
from the Prussian Government for the
damages sustained by them, and it
would be regarded by the United States
Government as a matter of duty to sus-
tain this demand for indemnity. The
State Department is now obliged to
await the receipt of full advices of the
exact nature of the modified decree and
watch its workings.
Mr.. White last evening lodged an
other formal protest with Baron Won
Buelow, as in spite of the Bundesrath's
resolution, American fresh fruit is eV-
erywhere excluded.
The United States Consul at Dussel-
dorf telegraphed to-day that only dried
fruits mad been released, and that there
were about 1900 barrels of apples in
the bonded warehouse there.
The United States Embassy during
the week has been flooded with appeals
from fruit merchants, dealers and ship
pers who have been injured by the de-
cree, and all of them have thanked
Mr. White for the vigorous measures
he has adopted 1t appears that DIR.
Miguel and Baron Won Hammerstein-
Loxten issued the decree without the
authority of the Prussian Cabinet or
the Bundesrath
PRACTICALLY MEANS PROHIBI-
BERLIN, Feb. 4-Under the heading
Order, Counter Order, Disorder" the
"Tagablatt'' to-day describes the bung-
ling Of Prussia with American fruits,
and asks: Are we really drifting into
a fierce tariff war with the United
States because we have petted The
agrariaE desires?
The ''Vorwaertz" publishes an article
headed ''Agrarian Attack on Ameri-
ca" detailing the stupidity which the
different revenue stations display in In
terpreting the prohibitory decree. Other
liberal newspapers make similar COM
ment.
The issuance of the decree was
brought about as follows: The Minis
ter Of Agriculture, Baron Won Ham
merstein-L oXten, saw DR.. MIGUEL. The
Minister of Finance and Vice Presiden.
of the Ministry, January Both, and ask
ed that a decree be issued forthwith
prohibiting absolutely the Importation
of all American fruit, fresh and dried
and all products of American nursei-
les. DR. MIGUEL telegraphed the order
to all revenue stations making it ef-
fective on February 1st. United States
ambassador White Immediately vigor-
ously demonstrated with the Foreign
Office by note and verbally, and the de-