The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-06-17
Orchard Pests


The Inland Herald of Monday,
June 10, published at Spokane, con-
tanned the following well written
editorial bearing upon the impor-
lance of the fruit industry of the
state. 1t hits the nail squarely upon
the head and if the ideas contained
therein are strictly carried out a
vast amount of good will result. 1t
says:
considering the important factor
which the horticultural products of
this state are in it's total annual in
come, it is rather wonderful that
so little regard is being paid to the
preservation of the excellence Of the
grade of Washington fruit. 1t is
true that there is considerable re-
gard shown on paper. That is to
say, there are numerous laws upon
the statute books which look in this
direction. But that is about all
they do-look! 1t would seem as
if the legislature and the executive
are at variance and that the latter
amend the good resolutions of the
former by ordering its official in the
carrying out of these pious senti
ments, misnamed claws" to "look,
but not to touch!'
''But just as the good reputation
of any business man is his best asset
when negotiating loan from any
bank, so is the good reputation of
the state its best asset in marketing
its products. Thus the most rigid
of inspections should govern the ex-
port of fruit from this state. The
false grading of fruit will not only
injure the shipper but will, which
is far more important, injure every
shipper.
''It is apparently hard upon the
fruit grower to find that after the
most careful of spraying and cult
walton, that his trees are so infected
with Goblin moth or scale that prac-
tically all his product is inferior.
But that again comes from the nom
enforcement of the laws, and the
law-abiding suffer from the crimi-
nal carelessness Of their neighbors.
For if the laws compelling the spray
ing of trees and the destruction of
those which cannot be freed from
pathological pests were carried out
rigidly the man who would suffer
would be the man in fault and not
he who is not in fault. And. as a
whole, the state would benefit. Much
harm is also done by the importa-
ton of pest-ridden young trees from
various parts of this country and
from foreign countries. There are
laws governing the importation as to
its inspection. But are they carried
out?
''It is not as if the state of Wash
ington were the only producer of
the higher grade of apple. Such is
not the case. For instance, British
Columbia is fast becoming the most
important of Washington's rivals.
Yet an official of the British Column
bia gov eminent announces that the
whole of the eastern part of that
province, at least, is absolutely free
from Goblin moth or scale, two of
the most destructive of all pests.
This condition of affairs does not
arise because that Canadian prov
ince is immune, but rather because
its inspection laws are laws and not
pious sentiments. Last year British
Columbia imported over 1000, 900
nurselings from this country, from
Eastern Canada and from Germany.
Last month rigid inspection led to
huge bonfire of 10000 Of such inn
portations because Of their pest-lad-
en- condition. Only year ago a
whole orchard near Vancouver was
converted into another bonfire be-
cause its owner either could not or
would not free his trees of pests.
He was no longer permitted to in
feet his neighbors and so damage
the reputation of the district in the
world markets.
After all, the scientific applica-
ton OF law pays no regard to the
suffering of individuals, especially
where those individuals are at fault
no matter what the hardship in.
CURED. The science of political econ.
0my lays down as an honorable max
i'm that to effect the greatest GOOD
OF the greatest number is the endane
aim for all law.
The Washington exhibit car OF
the Great Northern Railway, which
has been touring the IInitnd Sto+o,