422 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN, 



permitting his viewpoint to become provincial is one against which an 

 official must constantly be on guard, and the more the area of his juris- 

 diction is circumscribed the greater the need of such watchfulness. The 

 future usefulness of the horticultural officers will be greatly enhanced 

 and their foresight in these matters intensified as a result of the liberal 

 exchange of information representing conclusions drawn from studies 

 of similar conditions in different lands and by their mutual acquain- 

 tance with the experts who participated in the debates, and the potato 

 industry of the entire Pacific slope will be permanently benefited as a 

 result of the conference. — F. M. 



The Fresno County Fair. As one of the three judges of the Fresno 

 County Fair I can hardly refrain from giving a brief mention of the 

 Kingsl)urg town exhibit ; although all the exhibits were very creditable, 

 yet this one w^as of exceeding interest. The excellence of arrangement, 

 quality and variety of fruits, vegetables and grains, and especially the 

 feature exhibit representing in miniature an entire farm, with orchards, 

 etc., all up to date, was exceedingly ingenious and attractive. The 

 engine, pump, irrigating furrows with running water, orchards, fields 

 of grain, trucks, farm implements, and stock of all kinds were repre- 

 sented. One found himself listening to see if the rooster might not 

 crow^ 



The exhibits of fruit were remarkable for excellence and variety. 

 Especially were we pleased and gratified at the fine collections of 

 grapes and peaches. The canned and dried fruit was also very fine. 

 Even citrus fruits were so excellent that the Fresno people may well 

 feel proud of such an exhibit. Such fairs should be educatory, and 

 this one certainly w'as arranged with this purpose in view. We were 

 greatly pleased at the way that fruit, green, dried and preserved. Avas 

 labeled. In every such exhibit it should be stipulated that no fruit 

 unnamed should be exhibited, except for the purpose of gaining a 

 name. — A. J. C. 



Birds Attacking Butterflies. From an interesting letter received 

 from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, we 

 have the important information that five species of birds in Shasta 

 County in 1911 were found feeding largely upon butterflies. Butter- 

 flies are rarely taken by birds for food. It was also stated that the 

 caterpillars and chrysalids were largely taken as food by the birds. 

 One point I was very glad to get and that is that the "Western meadow 

 lark whose usefulness has been so much disputed had eaten largely of 

 the hairy caterpillars. This is certainly another count in favor of this 

 valuable bird. — A. J. C. 



California Fruit Growers' Exchange. We are indebted to Dr. G. 

 Harold Powell for his annual report, as general manager of this great 

 organization. Whatever comes from this exchange, unquestionably the 

 greatest and most successful cooperative agricultural association known 

 to the world, is of surpassing importance. This exchange marketed 

 during the year nearly eleven and one third million (11,262,185) boxes 

 of citrus fruits. Of this, a little more than one million (1,105,461) 

 boxes were lemons. The number of carloads was 28,183. This included 

 61.9 per cent of the entire citrus production of the state, and almost 

 four (3.8) per cent more than in any previous year. The total export 



