Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-02-15
THE GOVERNMENTS
CARE FOR FARMERS

The government both state and
federal. is doing all il can To protect
the farmer from the foes that eat up
so much of his yearly incOme-if
only the farmer will consent to be
protected. says the Craftsman. In
the state of New York il is specifi-
cally provided that no person shall
knowingly or wilfully keep any plum.
peach, almond. apricot. nectarine. or
other trees affected with the contag-
ious disease known as "yellOws." or
the equally dangerous disease called
little beach. The same law APP
plies to black knot and San Jose
scsie-in fact. TO all manner of pests
and diseases-and any person har-
boring trees or plants infected with
these diseases and not reporting it.
is legally guilty of misdemeanor.
the law holding that the infected
trees, shrubs, plants or vines are a
public nuisance. and should be abated.
at the expense of the owner. and
with no award OF damages Yet.
although this law has existed i'm the
state of New York for a number of
years. so far there is on record only
one orchard that has been destroyed
by the commissioner Of agriculture
on complaint of the neighboring far
mers. This orchard belonged To
rich man who bought an old farm
up in the northwestern part OF the
state. and turned it into an elaborate
country home. The place was full
Of picturesque old orchard trees and
the trees were full OF the scale.
The neighborhood happened To be
one which had adopted progressive
methods in farming. and the people
all around were spraying their trees
and doing their best to get rid of the
scale, which was constantly coming
In them from the old infected trees
on the rich mans estate As their
sole value 10 him was their pictures
queneSs. he refused either 10 spray
or cut them down. Finally. some
one who knew the law. looked up ,he
place and told the neighbors that BY
applying 10 the commissioner of az
riculture they would be able tn OBJ
tain relief. They promptly lodged
complaint and as a result all the
diseased trees were cut down and
the expense charged to the owner In
all probability the fact that the trees
We're on the estate OF wealthy ran
had something to do with the action
OF the farmers. who regard such in
vaders as their natural enemies 10
might have been a different story
had the infected orchard belonged L.
one of themselves. but. as it is. this
remains the solitary instance on re-
cord of the enforcement in this state
of a law which really furnishes Gde-
quate protection to all who own farms
or orchards
Fully recognizing the present i'm
possibility OF enforcing he ilws
which would protect gr0w:n: or
chards. the government. both slate
and federal. turns its attention chief-
ly to the rigorous inspection II all
nursery stock. The federal govern
ment sees to the inspecti0n of an
trees. shrubs. plants and vines that
come here from foreign countries. the
object being to head off. if possible.
the introduction OF any serious
menace to horticulture that might
creep I'm as the San Joss scale did |
and lay waste the whole country.
All infected plants that come here |
from Europe or the Orient are. after
careful inspection, fumigated with |
hydrocyanic acid gas if tue infcc |
ton is slight enough to be reno ed |
by such measures: if not. the whul" |
is destroyed. together with |
all packing. wrapping and boxes. The |
lesson taught by the Introduction Of \
the San Jose scale was a ssvers one
and the department of agriculture is
that it shall never he re-
peated. This scale which. within a