Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-07
Brownsville Duty

Citrus fruit growers of the Lower Rio Grande VAL
Ly are looking TO Brownsville for a prompt cleanup cf
al secondary host fruit trees in the city and contigu-
Gus territory. Assurances have been received from the
inspector in chief in charge Of the Mexican fruit worm
eradication work in the Valley that in the event q
cleanup Of secondary host fruit can b, effected ~ Jan
nary Is. be will present recommendation to tho L. s.
Department or Agriculture that the citrus fruit ship
ping season, which nov. under the terms Of the fed
sral embargo, expires March |, be extended 70 April 4.
A survey by the federal inspectors reveals that over
20 per cent or the secondary host fruit trees in the
Naliey arc located in Brownsville asd contiguous ter
r.tory. All other cities. towns and communitics arc now
engaged in the final cleanup. and growers assert that
only in Brownsville has there been lack Of cooperation.
To comply with the request Of the growers IL will
be necessary for Brownsville property owners T. de-
strcy IN peach. guass, mango and similsr fruit trees
which have been rated By the Department q Agricu,-
ture ~ secondary hosts for the Mexican fruit worm
Meme Of the,c fruits have proved very successful in
the Valley, Al least they are not grown upon a com
mercisl scale. They have little value, and IN view Of
the fact they are considered = menace 70 the citrus
fruit industry. there should he No hesitsncy N rcmov-
ing them.
There arc ,oms Who do no, ,Er,e With tn, Depart
rsnt 81 Agriculture rslstivr to these trees being sec
ondsry hcst,: others who assert tho Mexican fruit
worm " ~, . menace 70 Valley citrus fruit. They
MAY /. correct. hut the fact shculd be borne in mind
that the q. :. Department Of Agriculture has estab-
lished is reruls,icns-snd what n mere, those reguls-
ticns will he enforced. regardless Of the ideas OF "a
rious citizens. There Is no appeal from thesee Fesuia-
tions. Thee only thing fer the Valley 4 % : to CO.
operate with the department officials in the effort to
eliminate secondary host fruits and thereby gain an
extension 81 the shipping season. This Is no time for
argument. it is the time 10 sharpen an sxe and G.
cut aud destroy every secondary host fruit tree desig
mated o. such BY the department
Approximately 80 per cent OF the Valleys fruit crop
has been shipped. Unleets the growers are granted an
extension 10 April !. they will be forced 20 dump almost
t~uo.thirds Of tho fruit crop, znounting 70 nearly 1900
cars. onto the market. scccrtinr any price the northern
dealer arc willing to pay. If they can get the extern
sion. the crop can be marketed IN an orderly manner;
.rs those vho are experienced in fruit marketing know
th.s the hest markets arc usually offered the lstte-
mart Of February and during March. when the fruit q
IN is prime and the demand heavy.
brownsville residents slmost invariably have taken
Abe leadership in working for or making sacrifices Tor
ths interests cf the Valley. There is no logical reason
~hv they should he iaggards in this Vslley-wide clean
ur. II may csll Tor the s~acrifcc Of . few trees m
which the owners take considerable pride. but Y viii
resu thcusands Of dollars for the citrus fruit growers
and rsnsrsl strengthening Of the industry
Ard While ths cleanup Is on, hundreds Of tho ~rrth-