436 THE MONTHLY BflXETIN. 



I hat this inspector is also expected to pass on all trees, plants and vines coming into 

 and going out of his district, and to see that the horticultural law is complied with 

 in every case. 



During the first part of the year when there are but few shipments of nursery 

 stock moving, the inspector spends his time in the groves that will need treatment 

 tor the control of insects in the part of his district that is to be treated that year. 

 About a month before the time for treatment work, the inspector begins to get the 

 data in regard to owners and locations of property to be treated and sends the 

 information into the otfice. Our searcher of records looks up the records of each 

 piece of property, maps it, gets the correct legal descriptions and the name and 

 address of the owner to be notified so that when the notice is served, we know that 

 Ihe right owner or some one in charge has heon properly served with a notice that 

 is legal. 



The time given the owner in which to do the work is usually ten days and if at 

 Ihe expiration of that time the work is not done, as soon thereafter as the county 

 outfits can do the work, it is done and the data relating to it is sent in to the 

 office where the cost is estimated and bills promptly sent to owners. A very large 

 per cent of the work we do is promptly paid for. Our fumigators and sprayers are 

 paid twice a mouth and for all bills for work not paid by the owners in thirty days 

 after the county has paid for the work a lien is filed against the property to secure 

 to' the county the cost of the work. 



This county owns one hundred and eight fumigation tents and one power spraying 

 machine. The tents are operated by four crews, each working in a different part of 

 the county, but these are not sufficient to do all of the work that should be done 

 by the county so we are compelled to let out to the lowest bidder, all of the work done 

 in Pasadena, South Pasadena and vicinity — some twelve or fifteen thousand dollars 

 worth of work each season. Any orchard work that we are compelled to do. is let 

 out to independent companies who are better prepared to do that kiud of work 

 than is the county. 



The kind of work that we do is on small lots that the independent companies will 

 not do and work that we have to force to be done. This latter work done against 

 the wishes of the owners is work that tries the patience of the horticultural commis- 

 sioner. They feel that we have encroached upon their rights and they can always 

 find something to "kick" about. We have not killed all of the insects, or we have 

 ruined the tree, or we have trampled the flowers, or we have broken the clotheslines 

 and numerous other things for which they claim damages much greater than the 

 cost of the work. 



In every case of this kind I have the inspector investigate and report his findings. 

 If real damage has been done I go personally and in nearly every case succeed in 

 making a satisfactory settlement. Sometimes an unreasonable complaint is brought 

 to the supervisors who, in most cases, are inclined to believe that there is some 

 ground for complaint — which means more time and expense — only to find that no 

 real damage has been done and no reason for complaint. 



These are some of the annoying features that the horticultural commissioner has 

 to contend with when enforcing the control of insects and diseases on plants and 

 trees. Some of the more pleasant features of this work are found in the fact that 

 forced work represents only a small per cent of the total insect and disease control 

 work of this county. Not more than 1 per cent of the orchard fumigation and 

 spray work has to be done by the county. More than one-half of all fumigation 

 work is done by the different citrus associations. It is very seldom that the county 

 outfits have a job of more than fifty trees. Fully 75 per cent of the owners of 

 small lots of trees take a pride in their trees and desire that they be kept clean and 

 healthy and therefore welcome the work done by the county and demand that their 

 neighbor's trees receive similar treatment. 



