The record-union., 1899-05-13

the fruit in that neighborhood. witness
did not consider that scale were much
of detriment to this county. He ala
not think they would ever be got rlo
Of He was notified on February "a
and did not spray until March Iotn'
but it took all that time to get his tank
and pump ready. On the day that ne
was arrested, he had started to spray
and his team mired in the orchard. MT.
Booth only started to- spray his own
trees that morning.
Constable Heath testified that A. u.
Murphy was spraying the trees when he
arrested him.
David Reese stated that his COM
plant was that Inspector Booth was
entirely too officious. He had left
notice to witness to spray two pear
trees within twenty days or he would
cut them down. Witness told his wife
he would let the Inspector cut them
down. A few years ago the trees were
covered with scale. but neither witness
nor the Inspector could find more than
two or three scale on the trees. Wit
ness had not sprayed the trees yet. He
did not believe that sprays did any good
in destroying scale.
He acknowledged that an officer
should do as he was ordered, but
thought that laws, the enforcement
of which would work an injury, should
be avoided, if possible, and would Go
no injury to any one. He thought that
it was time to- remove Commissioner
when he threatened to throw citizens
into Jail when they would not obey
law that would injure themselves. II
Mr.. Booth was not removed, he expected
he would be thrown into jail. He
wanted to see the laws for protection OIL
horticultural interests rigidly enforced,
but did not believe in twenty four hour
reform officers.
B. H. Murray said he went to Elk
Grove on Sunday with A. D. Murphy to
get the spray pump and they started to
spray on Monday. but they were inter
rupted by the storm and had to quit
until they could get on the ground
again.
B. NJ. Lelong, Secretary of the State
Board of Horticulture, testified that the
work of the County Commissioners
come under his notice. He had known
Mr. Booth many years and from con-
versations with him and the examina-
ton he went through before the board
he considered him a competent man. 1t
is necessary to be vigilant as insects
spread rapidly and may get a great
start through negligence. Sometimes
parasites in certain neighborhoods de-
crease the scale in a neighborhood, but
if there are no parasites, they increase
very rapidly. He had been instrumental
in getting the Supervisors to appoint a
n,
County, deeming it to be necessary but
had taken no hand in the appointment
of individuals. He considered Paris
green an excellent wash and gave his
reasons for so thinking. The first duty
of the Commissioners is to enforce the
law. Parasites and spraying have
greatly reduced the scale. Parasites
have done it in some places and spray
ing with lime, salt and sulphur has done
1t. The law says that the eradication
of the pests shall be to the satisfaction
of the Commissioners and they have
power to recommend the various washes
for that purpose.
Henry Middliburg stated that the
Murphy orchard needed spraying and
if it had not been sprayed the scale
would have eventually extended to his
(witness) orchard. He had one year
sprayed several pear trees three times
that adjoined the Murphy orchard and
found scale on them each time. He
examined the Murphy orchard in Feb
ruary and March. to find out its con-
dition.
Inspector George H. Booth testified
that he notified Mr.. Murphy on Febru-
airy I'd that his apple trees were infect
ed with scale and gave him twenty five
days in which to spray them. At the
expiration of that time Murphy had
done nothing. He had a tank made at
the blacksmith shop. that lay there
some time after it was finished. He
asked Murphy on March 9th if he was
going to spray his trees and again on
the 18th and finally told him that ne