536 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



RESPONSE TO ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



By A. J. Cook, before Fruit Growers' Convention at Visalia, November 18, 1915. 



Mr. Orr, Ladies and Genilemen: 



It is delightful to receive this hearty welcome, a,s we come for the 

 first time to your favored county. Mr. A. G. Schulz, your former able 

 county horticultural commissioner, two years ago at the San Jose Con- 

 vention pressed the claims of Tulare County for the next State Fruit 

 Growers' Convention, but yielded to the argument that said convention 

 was due the South and that the rule of the square deal would defer 

 your right until this time. 



You of Tulare County are to be congratulated, for lightning rarely 

 .strikes twice in the same place. You have replaced a wise, able county 

 horticultural commissioner with a second of like diligence and ability. 

 Mr. Collins has done wonderful service, aided by the other members of 

 the local committee, in assisting in the preparation of the program for 

 this meeting. I wish to express my grateful acknowledgments for the 

 good work. 



As you doubtless know, I have now served one month of my second 

 term as State Commissioner of Horticulture. A brief review of the 

 accomplishments will surely interest you. 



I need not speak of the State Quarantine Service or of the work of 

 the State Insectary. These two divisions have told their own stories in 

 a voice that has been heard from Siskiyou to San Diego. How grateful 

 we are that the Mediterranean fruit fly and citrus canker have not 

 thrust their blasting presence upon us ! We owe this safety to the 

 thoroughly organized and efficient quarantine service. You will be 

 pleased to learn that Mr. Smith in his brief superintendency of the 

 State Insectary has introduced eight foreign parasites or predators into 

 the orchards of California to aid in controlling the most serious scale 

 pests. Three of these parasites are certainly established ; three others 

 are breeding in the orchards and so are probably established, while the 

 other two are yet doubtful. Several introduced Japanese parasites of 

 the citrus mealy bug have probably failed to work in the vineyards and 

 orchards of California. "We must surely congratulate Mr. Smith, whose 

 work is so warmly praised by Dr. L. 6. Howard of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and California is to be felicitated because 

 of this unexpected success. More work in the introduction of parasites 

 would have been done except that the war has greatly interfered with 

 transportation facilities. 



The publications of the Commission, The Monthly Bulletin. Injurious 

 and Beneficial Insects of California, by E. 0. Essig^ and Apple Growing 

 in California, by George P. Weldon, need no word of praise from me. 



The discovery of the cause and cure of gummosis, the worst disease 

 of the lemon, Professor H. S. Fawcett's masterpiece, is due to this 

 Commission. This discovery has been praised by one of the leading 

 citrus growers of California as worth millions of dollars to the State. 



You are all familiar with the crop reports and orchard statistics 

 which are issued from time to time by this office. These are probably 

 as accurate as any statistics throughout the country, and are much 

 sought after and used by all interested in fruit growing. 



