THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 473 



shipments of fruit, plants or trees, etc., have been made was later 

 issued. This is a useless grant, for what inspector has the time or 

 ability to seek out such shipments after delivery has been made. The 

 present law requires that all mailed packages be delivered immediately 

 upon reaching their destination. I am glad and gratified to report that 

 some of our leading post offices report to us, daily, all such packages 

 received which we have arranged to inspect so that no appreciable delay 

 is experienced. Our experience shows that such inspection is very 

 necessary and important. INIany post offices are beyond the reach of 

 possible inspection. We must have action by Congress, and it can not 

 be too speedy, doing away with the law requiring immediate delivery, 

 and making it mandatory that all nursery stock, plants, fruit, etc., be 

 sent to one, two or three designated post offices for inspection, to be 

 afterwards forwarded to the purchaser if, upon inspection, such .ship- 

 ments are found to be free of insect pests or fungous diseases, wherever 

 any state is equipped for such inspection and requests such action. 

 Such a bill has been introduced into Congress by Hon. J. E. Raker, but 

 it slumbers, whereas it should be rushed to final passage. Our experi- 

 ence in inspecting shipments by parcel po.st shows that our safety from 

 imminent danger requires that every possible effort be made to hasten 

 the passage of this or some similar act which will safeguard our orchards 

 from infestations through shipments by parcel post. 



State Fruit Growers' Conventions and Publication of the Proceedings. 



We call this the fortj^-fifth State Fruit Growers' Convention, but it is 

 really the fortj'-seventh, as we have held during the past year two 

 emergency conventions, one in the south on the mealy bug at Upland, 

 and the other, the Potato Emergency Convention, at Stockton. Both 

 of these conventions served an admirable purpose. The one cleared 

 up a vexing question and gave great relief where much loss had re- 

 sulted and where there was no little anxiety. Information was given 

 which at once quieted alarm. The other has inaugurated a movement 

 which promises very pronounced relief to our great potato industry. 



The proceedings of all our State Fruit Growers' Conventions have 

 been published for free distribution by the state up to the forty-third 

 convention held last December in San Jose. Our funds Avould not 

 permit further publication if we continued the Monthly Bulletin and 

 issue a second edition of the insect bulletin, which is being loudly called 

 for. After consultation with some of our extensive growers it was 

 thought best to omit the publication of the proceedings of these con- 

 ventions, at least for the present. We found it would have cost over 

 >i*3,000 to publish the report of the Davis Convention alone. I am 

 ]ileased to report to you that arrangements have been made which will 

 insure the publication of the proceedings of the present convention, 

 which I am sure will give universal satisfaction. 



