Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-22

Railroad, just before the start of the di
larvae, from larvae to pupae and from
pupae to the full-grown adult.
Every trick the fly has in his bag Is
being card-indexed.
In the Orlando laboratory I watched
with fascinated interest the activities
of these scientific experts Nothing
could be more absorbing to the mind
lists are studying methods of batting,
toiling day and night to evolve q new
spray that they hope will prove to be
the f1y's doom and yet prove harmless
to trees or fruits.
If the chemist can concoct a spray
that will gun" the Mediterranean fruit
fly in Florida perhaps the day Of that
insect is done, not only there, but
everywhere the world over.
Florida People Co-operated.
Next to the work Of the experts must
be reckoned the whole-hearted. patriotic
and unselfish cooperation of the people
of Florida-the leaders and the rank
and file of its citizenry.
When the war board in the old court
house at Orlando got into action 1t
became evident at once that without
| the cooperation of owners of orchards,
groves, farms and the owners Of homes
having backyards where trees, shrub
berry and vegetables grew, the hight
was hopeless.
The board was able by authority Of
law to impose fines and penalties for
disobedience to its orders, even to i'm
prison offenders, but no law can
govern the Awless man. or the stubborn
man or the ignorant man.
Accordingly, there was formed what
is known as 1.-The Florida Citizens
Association" with Col. r. NJ. Shearer
of Orlando a retired Army oflcer, as
its president. The organization Is
Statewide and has now thousands OF
members. It's object Is ito aid and
assist the State and Federal author1-
ties in every way possible IN the cam
paign for the eradication Of the Med1-
terranean fruit fly"
This organization has done and con-
tinues to do heroic services. 1t has
pushed forward the clean culture"
movement with great vigor, furnishing
hundreds of volunteer workers who
serve without pay.
Most Fruits Under Ban.
The necessity Of complete co-opera-
ton on all sides was made plain by DR..
Newell in a public statement In which
he said:
mot a guava, not a peach, not a
mulberry, nor a surinam cherry. not
any one of all the known host fruits
and vegetables must be left within the
reach of the fly this Summer II We are
to obtain a maximum result from the
eradication efforts during this period"
Newell says 1t is impossible for peo-
pie outside Of Florida to realize the
immensely OF the task on hand. He
might well have added that even the
people of Florida themselves - those
not directly engaged In the business OF
growing fruits and vegetables-oo not
realize it.
But there is hope and good grounds
for optimism, nevertheless.
"As between those who, refusing to
face the facts" says Newell, contend
there is nothing to fear from the ny
and those, on the other hand, VINO pc
lieve there is no hope OF eradlcatnas
the fly, and that our fruit and Vege-
table industries must be abandoned,
there must be sane middle ground.
"The fiy is an actually, the Federal
quarantine against Florida products Is
reality.
An Early Start.
eft is also true that in places out
side the Continental United States TINS
efforts and has overrun districts to the
extinction of producing industries. Yet
we have the benefit of a relatively early
start against it in Florida. We are
able to oppose 1t here with men ana
measures such as have not opposed 1t
in other places"
While was in Orlando an inspector
was sent out to I'LL an order for 1000
pupae He returned In an hour with
2,100 that he unearthed from one single
tree. Then another inspector was sent
to the same tree to learn II the other
man had made q complete cleanup.
The second man secured score more
in less than half hour.
Would YOU not say that whoever has
the Mediterranean fruit fly to combat
has a real fight on his hands?
But, even so, this is the United States
and not Hawaii, not Asiastic Turkey, not
South Africa, nor yet France.
Here and there there has been talk OF
can't be compromised with. It must be
annihilated.
A Vast Menace.
To realize what widespread havoc
would follow in its wake one need but to
survey with the minds eye the tremen.
dous extent of fruit areas In the Gulf
States, the Central South and the States
of the Pacific Coast ANY one interested
in statistics can revel In some enormous
calculations by looking up what the fruit
and vegetable industries OF these vast
sections Of our common country fur
nish. Millions upon millions Of dollars
every year. The Mediterranean fruit
fly, without help from any other insect.
is easily able to make q total wreck OF
all that.
Take Florida alone, which is the sec
ton in which, at the present time, we
can face facts.
It is not generally known how extern
sive the fruit and vegetable industry in
Florida is. had the impression that
her citrus industry, for instance, was
somewhat negligible as compared with
the same industry In California.
I find, however, that. counting young
groves and recent paintings, F1orida's
citrus area exceeds that Of California.
Florida has more citrus trees than Cali
fornia. In time, had there been no set
back, Florida's revenues from citrus
would bid fair to be more in dollars
than CALIFORNIA;.
Planes Used In Area.
In my travels I was shown infesta-
tions In more than 100 towns and
cities of IL OF the principal citrus coun-
tries. How much more widespread the
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