The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-01-25
GUARDING AGAINST PESTS.

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tations for Plant Disease Germs
Mt San Frnncisco.
If it were not for the diligent quar-
antine kept at the San Francisco gate
way, the crops of California vegetable
and fruit raisers, and perhaps those of
states further east, would be constant
y menaced. For instance, one March
here, there was a burning of cucum-
bers. The steamship Australia had
brought across the Pacific to San
Francisco consignment of cucum-
bers that were infested with the dis
gusting, pernicious cucumber mag
got" that, if introduced, would be one
OF the greatest Of foes to American
raisers of melons and cucumbers. If
that shipment had been allowed to
land in San Francisco, the quarantine
officer. believed that the maggots
would in ~ months have spread all
over the country. 1t would be nearly
impossible to eradicate the pest if it
once obtained foothold in the United
States, as it has in the islands of the
Pacific. 1t is terribly destructive,
very prolific parasite, writes NJ. C..
Bamford, in the New York Tribune.
Another day there was another
burning in San Francisco of another
dreadful pest that arrived at Califor-
MAS doors on the steamer Colon, in a
shipment of Mexican oranges from
Acapulco. These oranges contained
that miserable creature known as the
Mexican orange maggot." The hor-
rible thing about these "orange mag
gots" is that they are of exactly the
same color as the pulp of an orange,
so making the creature difficult to de-
tect. This "orange maggot" is, Of
course, the lrva of fly, and from three
to Is orange maggots were found in
an orange. So there was need for an
other bonfire, the oranges and their
boxes both being burned. Although
this orange pest is in Mexico not far
from the southern border of the Unit
ed States, yet this was believed to be
the first time the orange maggots ever
reached here. Notice was sent to i'm
porters declining to allow Mexican
oranges to be landed thereafter in
California, and word was also sent to
freight agents of all railroads in Mex
leo. But if there had not been quar-
antine officer in San Francisco that
November day the orange maggot
would have entered the United States.
Another present that Mexico came
oil
was Mexican scale insect such as had
never yet gained foothold in this state.
A steamer brought some gardenias
from Mexico, which were found by our
quarantine officer at San Francisco to
be infested with this scale. The gar
denias were destroyed. Even the over
looking of some cuttings of plants like
these might have added dangerous
scale to the other scale insects that
California possesses.
The apple beetle larvae of Tasmania
have come to San Francisco's portal.
and vanished there in fire. Thousands
OF hop plants from Kent, England,
were refused entrance here, because it
was probable that they might bring
the shop louise" from that country to
this. Cherry trees from Japan with
black fungus on their leaves and blush
gray aphis flies on the new wood have
come here and been thrown overheard.
The "mongoose," that voracious crea-
ture that kills pigs and lambs, has
been condemned to death, when one
was brought here once. Also at San
Francisco has been chloroformed a
flying fox" as that fruit eating bat
has been SO dreadful scourge of Aus
tralia. where thousands of "fying
foxes" go out at night to eat the fruits
of the orchards. Guavas from Central
America having worms in them have
come to San Francisco and been de.
stroyed. 1t is now 20 years or little
more since the first act regarding in
sect pests was passed by the Califor-
mia legislature. IT is to be hoped, not
only for CALIFORNIA; sake, but also for
that of the rest of the United States.
that none of the insect pests of Japan,
Singapore, Honolulu, Mexico or Gem
trail America may find the watch at the
western gateway any less strict in the
future than in the past.
nn6rworrc NOr~Cr IN .-,1-.