Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-13
DELAWARE AT PAN-AMERICAN.

raised to the law creating Board OF
Agriculture. After the passage of the
amendment, the governor appointed
three persons to constitute the said
hoard. one from each of the three
counties of the State. The said board
has been in existence for one year. The
law in question provided a sum for
their per diem and expenses; that
amount should not be over 5000 for the
three, nor more than 20 days pay in
any one year. 1t appropriated to the
said board 81, 600 for doing the work.
There was also an appropriation OF
81, COO to make an exhibit at the Pan
American Exhibition, at Buffalo. A
large portion of this was expended in
fitting up building that was desig-
mated as the Delaware Building, the
buying of fruits, pay for young
woman TO attend to the fruits, put
them on exhibition and otherwise take
charge of the room, express charges,
&c. We were awarded by the commit
tee three gold medals, five silver
medals, eighteen bronze medals and
fourteen honorable mentions. Last
year being u very poor fruit year in our
State, it was quite task to get such
fruit as we wished to send out for ex-
hibition. There was quite considera-
bic amount of complaint made through
the press about the exhibits Compare
them with the large fruit States of this
Union, | think we are about the sixth
on the list in premiums awarded rs
published. That is five States received
more prizes than We did. Some of
these States hhd thousands of dollars
at their command while we had only
81, 600, and still have Il balance of SIS
to $40 in hand. We will not go to the
next Legislature with any bills to go
before the committee on claims, as was
done ut the Worlds Fair, held IL few
years prior at Chicago, when the State
expended over $40, COO. would like
the press of our State to tell the
farmers and others who are interested
along this limo how much produce of
the orchard, garden or field was on ex-
hibition, and how many medals we're
awarded to farmers and fruit growers
in Delaware.
"Our work for the last year has been
working UP the insect pests on the fruit
trees in the State. The worst insect
enemy to fruit trees is the San Jose
scale. We found valuable orchards in
Kent and Sussex counties threatened
by the scale. Many OF these trees have
had treatment applied to them in the
shape of emulsions put on with spray
pumps to prevent further spread of the
scale. All the owners of such orchards
are working along the line of exter.
minating the pest. In this work every
thing is working fairly satisfactory.
We have some Of the scale in Lower
New Castle county The owners OF
these trees expect to take them all out
and burn them as soon as the weather
will permit in the spring. We issued
a circular and notified the different
transportation companies not to deliver
any trees to any one unless they had d
printed card on the box, bale or pack
age, that the same had been inspected
by the proper authorities of the State
from which they came and was found
free from San Jose scale. The trans
portation companies have complied
with our request, and have materially
helped us along this line. We pub
lisEed the law on this subject, and
sent it to the different transportation
companies and to those growing nur-
| sery trees for sale. We have sent out
circular letters about San Jose scale
and peach ycllows, that trees affected
| with the scale must he treated or de-
stroyed. Peach trees with the yellows
must be cut down or dug up All must
be done on or before the first Of April.
"We issued Il pamphlet of 10000
copies, and had them distributed at the
Pan American nxhidltion, setting forth
the opportunities in our State, and in
wiling persons wishing to purchase
farming lands to come, inspect and be
| &c 60, "A,
appointed Prof. Wesley Wehh If Dover
inspector Of orchards and nurseries. II
is his duty to go to any part of the
State, upon being notified by any mem.
her of the board, to look for insect
enemies. If any person who believes
he has some insect destroying lis
trees will notify any member VI the
board. Mr.. Webb will carefully inspecl
the same We have notified all nursery.
men that they must erect lumigating
houses and fumigatc all trees and
plants before they are sent to pur
chasers. In the two lower hundreds oi
this county we had quite an outbreak
Of anthrax; at one time it looked as
though the disease would become cpl
demic. With the aid of DIR. A. T.
Neale and the efficient CORPS of co,
workers of Delaware College ENreri
mental Station to assist DIR. II. B.
Mcdowell, who was appointed by the
board, the disease was eradicated
- have given a brief outline of the
work done by the State Board Of Agri.
culture, and hope my hearers under
stand it aims to benefit the farmer, the
fruit grower, the stock man and all
others obtaining livelihood from the
soil of the grand little State of Della
ware, the blue hen that extends q
sheltering wing to every chick that i.
loyal to her. and we ask in conclusion
the cooperation of you all, that thi,
work may be carried forward alonl
more extensive lines. -
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