THE MONTHLY BULLETIN 



CALIFORNIA STATE COMMISSION OF HORTICULTURE. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE IN ITS BROADEST SENSE, WITH SPECIAL 



REFERENCE TO PLANT DISEASES, INSECT PESTS, AND 



THEIR CONTROL. 



Sent free to all citizens of the State of California. Offered in exchange for bulletins 

 of the Federal Government and experiment stations, entomological and mycological 

 journals, agricultural and horticultural papers, botanical and other publications of a 

 similar nature. 



A. J. Cook, State Commissioner of Horticulture Censor 



E. J. VosLER, Secretary State Commission of Horticulture Editor 



ASSOCIATE EDITORS. 



Geo. p. Weldon Chief Deputy Commissioner 



Harry S. Smith .. 1 Superintendent State Insectary 



Frederick Maskew Chief Deputy Quarantine Officer 



Entered as second class matter December 29. 1911, at the post office at Sacramento, 

 California, under the act of July 16, 1894. 



The Visalia Fruit Convention. — The Forty-seventh State Fruit 

 Growers' Convention, which convened at Visalia, November 18 to 20, 

 1915, was a pronounced success. IMuch credit is due to County Horti- 

 cultural Commissioner C. F. Collins, and others of the local committee 

 who gave substantial aid in arranging the program and preparing for 

 the meeting. The comfort of the visitors was well cared for, and the 

 excellence of the program was exceptional. So rich was the entire 

 menu that we are resolved to publish it in one volume for distribution. 

 It will be mailed free to all who registered, and to all others who ask 

 for it. We hope we can mail it out in February. 



A special State citrus convention, about February 22, 1916, in con- 

 junction with the National Orange Shov/ at San Bernardino (see 

 page 571), and the Annual State Convention to be held at Napa in 

 November, 1916, were announced. Napa made a loud call for the con- 

 vention. She is a leading fruit county, and has never had a convention, 

 so it was plainly her due. — A. J. C. 



Startling Facts.— The potato yield in our California valleys may 

 and should reach 250 to 350 sacks per acre. Four hundred or five hun- 

 dred sacks are possible. This present season the average yield has 

 hardly reached 100 sacks ; one large planting failed to exceed 32 sacks. 

 The cause is known — destructive fungi have caused the decline. The 

 remedy is known. Clean seed, germ free soil and crop rotation spell 

 relief. Education is the one requisite. This will bring right cultural 

 methods. Such methods wall win. They have done so richly this 

 present season. The nine potato conventions the past autumn aroused 

 much interest and were highly appreciated. "We are pressed with invi- 

 tations to repeat them, with additions. If we can secure a continuance 

 of the services of the expert from the Department of Agriculture, which 

 we believe is possible, we shall surely arrange for these conventions in 

 January and February, which will be in time to advise as to seed and 

 culture. 



