4i4 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the appointment of county boards of horticultural commissioners, 

 authorized to examine susjpected orchards, nurseries or single trees, as 

 well as fruit-packing houses, store rooms, sales rooms and other places, 

 and to enforce thorough disinfection in the event of their discovering 

 '•scale-bug, codling-moth, red spider or other noxious insects liable to 

 spread contagion dangerous to trees or fruit, or their eggs or larvas." 



"It is now two years," the lecturer proceeded, "since the passage 

 of these laws and the publication of the results of the experiments of 

 the San Jose committee. The results brought about are wonderful. 

 The growth of public opinion has been toward a hearty support of this 

 war against insect pests." A letter recently received from Dr. S. F. 

 Chapin (one of the San Jose committee, and now Vice-President of the 

 State Board, and Inspector of Fruit Trees) says : 



"Most of our serious fruit pests are held in subjection to so great 

 an extent that where the effort is carefully made, large crops of very 

 choice fruit are gathered where, two or three days since, almost total 

 failure was experienced. Notably is this the case here at St. Jose 

 ^ * * ; the scale insects are now overcome by those who make the 

 effort. * * * This work has been done almost wholly by the judi- 

 cious application of concentrated lye. * * * Coal oil is not now 

 used. * ^- * I can name orchards in which trees are now being dug 

 out which were washed with coal oil two years ago — trees which at the 

 time were not killed and which were thought to have escaped harm 

 from the oil, but which have since died. * * * Regarding the cod- 

 ling moth, the careful methods so clearly demonstrated the past season 

 as successfully combating that pest, have been practiced this season 

 by many growers, and have been successful beyond anticipation. * * * 

 In our county of Santa Clara, the fruit product as returned to the county 

 assessor for 1882, was $1,611,800, while two years ago the value was 

 ^976,475. The assessment of the county has an increase over last year 

 of ^3,552,529, principally owing to the increased value of fruit land." 



After remarking upon the encouragement afforded to Iruit grow- 

 ers everywhere by this California experience. Prof. Comstock wisely 

 urged " the desirability of concert of action on a small scale if we are 

 not to have State action, or while such action is being brought 

 about. Let the people of a town unite, and wonderful results will be 

 attained 3 if a whole town cannot be brought to take steps of this kind, 

 then let a neighborhood unite, or even two or three neighbors." The 

 first step, of course, is to ascertain j ust what insect enemies are present, 

 and then learn their complete life histories, in order to attack them 

 effectively. The book called "Insects Injurious to Fruits," (written by 

 William Saunders, and published last spring by J. B. Lippincott & Co., 



