The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-02-29
WHY ORCAS FRUIT WAS CONDEMNED
Apples Said to Have Been Infested by japanese fruit Borer Report San
francisco Inspector and Comments Of Z Walden

Mr.. F. Walden, the able horticul-
tural editor Of the Ranch. gives in
the columns of that paper some infor-
nation about the condemnation of 6,
600 boxes of Urcas island apples in
San Francisco last November which
should be of interest and value not
only to the growers and shippers Of
the condemned fruit but also to all
who are interested in the DEVELOPMENT
of the horticultural industry Of the
county. Mr.. Walden says:
elm our last issue attention was
called to the fact that some 5000
boxes of apples shipped from Orcas
island to San Francisco were con-
demned and sent back to Seattle on
account of being infested with the
bud moth (Tmetocera ocellana). It
seems. however. that while the papers
in California aud Washington report
I'd these apples infested with the bud
moth. there was mistake as to the
insect causing the infestation.- for it
was the Japanese Fruit Borer( Larvena
herellera). The Hon. j. R. Ander-
son, Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Victoria. B. c., has kindly sent me a
copy of letter from W. J. Jeffrey,
State Commissioner of Horticulture of
California, in which this false report
is corrected. In this letter from
Commissioner Jeffrey is the official re-
port from Mr.. E. M. Ehrhorn. who is
in charge of the quarantine work in
San Francisco. The following is Mr..
Ehrhorn g report in full: 81 con-
demned 6, 900 boxes of apples from
Bellingham on November 18th. Mr..
Jewett, of Hunt & Hatch Company.
notified this Office that they expected
large shipment of apples from Orcas
island. on the Sound. They also in
quired about the bud moth and want
ed to know what 1t was. saying that
this pest was known to exist in the
section where the apples we're raised.
This insect is very serious pest in
the eastern states, especially in New
York and the New England states.
We told him that when the shipment
arrived we would make q very thor
oueh inspection uf the fruit. and if
found infested 1T would have to 60
back to the point of shipment.
''When the shipment arrived l sent
Mr.. Bremner to the vessel, and he
brought me sample of the apples.
and instead of finding the bud moth,
as was expected. l found the fruit In
tested with the Japanese Fruit Borer
(Larvena herellera). Accompanied
by Mr.. Bremner. I went to the dock
where they we're unloading the fruit
and we made~a very careful examina
tion OF every variety of the
apples, as there were several different
lots. and after doing this work we
we're satisfied that this shipment
should not land in California. We
found very large percentage of the
fruit infested, and after notifying the
owners the men were told not to un-
load any more fruit. The lot was
sent back on November 23Nby the same
steamer that had brought it, Mr..
Jeffrey adds: ''Mr. Ehrhorn is AN
entomologist of national reputation,
SO there is no doubt about the iden-
tity Of this infection.''
''It is we'll to learn all We can about
this pest and the best means OF fighting
it. This was serious loss to the
fruit growers of Orcas island. and we
feel sorry for them. This lesson can
be drawn from this incident: Never
allow infested fruit to leave your Or
chard unless it goes to the cider mill
or jelly factory. It may be that the ,
good people who packed this fruit did
not notice the infestation. / ex-
amined number Of the apples after
they we're returned to Seattle and can
see that the infestation could have
been easily overlooked. and especial
~ where it was not known to exit.
! have cut open number OF the infest-
o6 onnloo h,,k - o.