The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1902-10-01
3. C. FRUIT INSPECTION.

Chronicle that the aim OIL lrulI lHSpeI-
ton by provincial officers is to ex-
clude fruit from the United States
The Chronicle says:
ut is safe to say that the extraordinary
vigilance of the fruit inspectors at Van
couver and other British Columbian ports
to detect and condemn shipments of in
tested" fruit from this state is merely
device to preserve the local mark Mend ior
stated that five shipments of pears from
this state had been condemned and cremated
at Vancouver. 1t Is, of course, possible
that the shipments in question were really
''Wormy" but in view of the experiences
of our shippers, and their knowledge of the
rigid inspection system enforced, we 90 not
believe it. Wherever the apple OF the pear
grows in this country or in Europe there
will be found the codling moth. Trees
planted in some secluded valley may escape
for few years, but the moth soon finds
them.
"There is no prospect of DISCRIMINATING
this pest of seed fruit. The numbers may
be diminished by spraying and banding the
trees, but enough always escape to com
pei renewal of the fight. 1t is not possible
for anyone to ship apples or pears with the
certainty that they will be absolutely free
from coddling moth The traces left by
the minute worm are entirely obliterated
as the fruit grows. When it is picked the
worm may not have emerged, and the fruit
may appear perfect, and yet, when 1t is
boxed the worm will find it's way out The
most that any grower or any shipper can DO
is, therefore, to pack no fruit which shows
any signs of worms when packed, and even
that is not always guarantee. This is
true of the British Columbian fruit as well
as of own. TO condemn whole con-
signment on the discovery of few wormy
specimens is simply to prohibit importation,
which, as a rule, is the real object of local
fruit inspection. 1t is probably the object
in British Columbia. Where there are no
local fruit interests to be protected, fruit
| inspection, if it exists at all, is farce.
Fruit really Infested with worms should
not be sent to market, and if sent should
be condemned 1t is not worth anything.
TO make the discovery of one or two stray
| worms the cause of condemning the entire
consignment is but manifestation of COM
mon selfishness in a disagreeable and I'M
friendly way"
With all due respect to the Column
bian, we think the Chronicle is about
right. Fruit inspection in so far as
exclusion of pests goes is farce, and
failure, and should be SO recognized.
We have evoluted through the pro-
cess in this state. A few years ago
our fruit growers were terrorized by
the wild and lurid prophecyings of
lot of pseudo-prOfessOrs forecasting
ruin and disaster wherever the insect
pests were introduced So we got leg
| islative enactments and appropria-
| tions with horticultural commissioners
and fruit inspectors on every corner,
and yet the pests took up their abode
in all parts of the state. The of
ficers were reasonably vigilant and
Industrious. The valiant fight made
by Prof. w. H. Brown, inspector for
Seattle and King county, will go down
into history. Attack after attack was
made by him on the "pestiferous in
sects." in the daily papers (accompa-
MED by his photo), and all to no avail
We have the pests, and they promise
to remain permanently. At the ports
of Puget Sound the only use to which
| the inspection law can be profitably
put is to relieve our markets in times
of congestion. The plans so simple
we wonder it wasn't thought of long
ago. Just call the inspectors atten-
ton to the infected fruit from Cali
fornia and Oregon; and off it goes to
the dump. In this state our law is
so sweeping that the inspector can
dump a carload of goods if he finds
zone of two stray worms" and