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. 



G. H. Hecke, State Commissioner of Horticulture Censor 



Geo. P. Weldon, Ghief Deputy Commissioner Editor 



Associate Editors. 



E. J. Vosler Acting Secretary State Commission of Horticulture 



Harry S. Smith Superintendent State Insectary 



Frederick Maskew Chief Deputy Quarantine Officer 



O. W. Newman Assistant Secretary State Commission of Horticulture 



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

 California, under the act of June 6, 1900. 



Mealybug Control. 



Through the efforts o£ the citrus growers of southern California the State Board 

 of Control, with the approval of Governor Stephens, has set aside from their 

 emergency fund the sum of $5,000 for the use of the Commissioner of Horticulture 

 in the mealybug campaign. At the time our budget was submitted in the fall of 

 1916, the urgency of work ngainst the eitropbilus mealybug was not apparent, 

 hence was not included in our estimate. The action of the Board of Control In 

 coming to our rescue is greatly appreciated by the growers, as is shown by numer- 

 ous letters and telegrams which we have received. The fund will be mainly 

 expended through the branch insectary and will be used first in work with natural 

 enemies and the control of the Argentine ant. and, secondly, in a demonstration of 

 orchard control methods in cooperation with the Citrus Experiment Station, under 

 the direction of Professor Quayle. We expect to appoint an experienced field man 

 who thoroughly understands the citrophilus mealybug, and place him directly in the 

 orchards. The Commissioner of Horticulture will be responsible for parasite and 

 ant work, the Citrus Experiment Station for orchard control. We believe that 

 this arrangement will prove of greatest economic value to the growers whose 

 orchards are infested, since the entire field of control will be covered thoroughly. 



G. H. H. 



Crop Reports. 



With an organization consisting of forty-seven county horticultural commissioners. 

 in as many counties of the state, who are required by law to make reports to the 

 office of the State Commissioner of Horticulture when requested to do so, this 

 commission is in a position to secure data that perhaps could not be gathered 

 through any other source. At times, as would naturally be expected, the accuracy 

 of certain reports is questioned. This, we believe, should not deter us in our effort 

 to get these reports before the public, but should simply put us on our guard so 

 that we may be able to detect inaccuracies and to perfect our system, profiting as 

 we go aloDg by the unavoidable errors which are occasionally made. 



For the past four years the task of compiling this report has been in the hands 

 of Chief Deputy George P. Weldon. The work has been simplified and system- 

 atized so that early each month a comprehensive report of the crop condition is 

 compiled covering each county where a commissioner is employed ; and also in addi- 

 tion two counties having no commissioner, viz: Solano and Napa. In these two 



