I ill monthly BULLETIN. 



435 



FORCED CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS IN LOS ANGELES 



COUNTY. 



By William Wood. County Horticultural Commissioner, Los Angeles, Cal. 



In Los Angeles County, unlike mosl others in California, the lands are held in 

 smaller tracts. The crops are more diversified and naturally we have more 

 harmful insects and planl diseases to contend with than in most of the other 



counties of the state. 



When we consider the greal variety of plants and 



lives growing in Los Angeles C ty and that nearly 



;iil ure hosl plants for some kind of insect pest, one 

 should not wonder when told that more than a 

 quarter of n million dollars is spent every year in 

 their control, li should no I seem strange, if among 

 nil of the thousands of growers, there were some 

 who through lack of means, or through shiftlessness 

 or poor management, allowed their trees ami plants 

 lo heeome infested with insect pests nnd diseases lo 



the great detriment of themselves and a menace to 

 the surrounding community. 



Whenever this condition exists, many who would 

 control their pests under mere favorable conditions, 

 become discouraged and help to swell the list of 

 those wilh infested and unprofitable crops. For- 

 tunately, the number of these is small when compared 

 with the whole; and for this reason, our state 

 legislature has, during the past thirty years, enacted 

 horticultural laws meant to protect those who would 

 help themselves againsl the fen who would maintain a nuisance that is a detriment 

 10 themselves and a menace to the surrounding community. But like most laws, 

 defects were found that often prevented their enforcement. Some of these defects 

 were eliminated from lime to time, but not until the last session of the legislature 

 \,as there any real, substantial change made that would strengthen the horticultural 

 laws and make them adequate to cover every emergency that might arise. 



The addition of the word "control" to our law must certainly be a great relief 

 to every commissioner and inspector. In collecting the bills for work done Ijy the 

 county, the owners of trees have almost invariably complained and many have con- 

 tended that all insects were not eradicated and for this reason they should not be 

 compelled to pay the bill. The word "control" removes this annoying feature. 



The addition to section 2319c of the Political Code which provides that no 

 quarantine shall be established, maintained uor enforced except by the state 

 commissioner, has done away with all the different county quarantine ordinances; 

 making a uniform quarantine regulation throughout the state, thereby removing 

 just cause for complaint by the nurserymen. 



The new law that makes a horticultural lien for work done by the county hold 

 over a mortgage will be a great help in the enforced cleaning up of run-down, 

 mortgaged groves which are invariably badly infested with insert pests and diseases. 

 Uerel ases where the groves were mortgaged for all and sometimes more 



than they were worth; neither the owner nor the mortgagee would consent to have 

 the work done; and if the county forced the work there was no security for the 

 cost; consequently, such groves were left untreated to become a greater menace to 

 the surrounding groves. This new law makes a lien for forced horticultural work 

 take precedence over- .-ill claims except laxes and has removed the greatest difficulty 

 with which the county horticultural commissioner has ever had to contend. 



How the Work for Forced Control Is Done. 



First, our county is divided into twenty districts. Each district has an inspector 

 whose duty is to make a general inspection of as many of the orchards and crops 

 growing in his district as he can throughout the year. In most districts the 

 inspector can not cover more than half of the territory in a year and as the custom 

 has been in most districts to destroy the insects every other year, one inspector has 

 been sufficient lo do the work thought necessary for a whole district. I might add 



