THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 409 



RESPONSE TO ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



By A. J. Cook, State Commissioner of Horticulture, before the State Fruit Growers' 



Convention, Palo Alto, Cal., Julj', 1915. 



Doctor Jordan, Ladies and Gentlemen: We are glad of this welcome. 

 We are greatly pleased to be guests of this great University. We know 

 that everything will be done to make our stay here most pleasant and 

 the work at this University replete with pleasure and profit. The pro- 

 gram is crowded and time is the most precious asset possible for these 

 busy days. I have therefore given myself no time or special place on 

 the program other than this response and I shall make my address very 

 brief indeed. 



At the Los Angeles Convention, as also in the sixth biennial report to 

 the recent session of the Legislature, I spoke of my hopes and aims upon 

 taking the office of State Commissioner of Horticulture, as to what I 

 desired to accomplish, and stated truthfully that every plan had been 

 carried to a successful issue, barring two: First — Protection against 

 the menace because of practically unguarded and unrestricted ship- 

 ments of nursery stock, etc., by parcel post. This danger, though little 

 understood, was imminent. It gives me sincere gratification to state 

 that on the next to the last day of the recent session of Congress, 

 March 3d. as an amendment to the Agricultural Appropriation Bill, 

 we secured what we have been striving for ever since my advent into 

 office. The present postal order is admirable, though it needs slight 

 amendments. The county seat is not always the best place for inspec- 

 tion, as instanced in the case of Inyo County, where Bishop, a larger 

 place in the midst of orchards, not Independence, which is distant from 

 fruit growing interests, should be the inspection center. Again, the 

 ruling now requires that fruit, plants, etc., should be forwarded to the 

 nearest inspection point. This necessitates that all shipments to 

 Pomona in Los Angeles County, a large and important fruit region, 

 shall be sent for inspection to Riverside, in another county, which of 

 course is unfortunate, yet if Pomona should be designated as an inspec- 

 tion center, all nursery stock, etc., sent by parcel post, requiring inspec- 

 tion, received by persons living at Upland or Ontario, San Bernardino 

 County, would needs be sent to Pomona, which would be unsatisfactory. 

 I have asked of the Postmaster General a change that the only requi- 

 site for inspection centers shall be the daily attendance of an inspector. 

 This has been granted, and of course the number of inspection centers 

 Avill be greatly increased. This change will add greatly to the conven- 

 ience of shipper and purchaser alike and expedite inspection. It is 

 hoped and expected that this postal ruling will tend to give such parcels 

 to the express companies. This is now the United States regulation in 

 case of foreign shipments of such material into the United States. This 

 reform is desirable, as in case of an emergency we can secure action 

 through express companies much quicker and easier than we can 

 through the Postal Department. 



The other needed reform in our horticultural laws had to do with 

 county quarantine ordinances. These were diverse, not always just, and 

 in rare cases absurd. No one can doubt the wisdom of uniform horti- 

 cultural laws. With the passage of Assembly Bill 1211, this last imped- 



