25 



of every one that knew him. Bj early training a capable and 

 successful liovtieultiu-ist liis indomitable love for plant life 

 later led him to form the vanguard of a fight against horticul- 

 tural enemies on a scale that was never undertaken before. 



Alexander Craw was born in Ayr, Scotland, August 3, 1850. 

 In lS7o he emigrated to California and after a two years' resi- 

 dence in San Diego, moved t-o Los Angeles, where he took 

 charge of the famous Wolfskill orange grove. His early train- 

 ing stood him in good stead in the early days of California's 

 growth as a horticultural center. His authority in matters 

 horticultural was never questioned and his advice ever eagerly 

 sought. Presently Icerya pnrchash which had preceded his 

 arrival in California by about five years, threatened the destruc- 

 tion of the citrus industry. It is difficult to determine at pres- 

 ent who started the movement which culminated in the intro- 

 duction of Novms cardinalis from Australia into California by 

 Albert Koebele in 1888. But it is certain that Mr. Craw wa** 

 a powerful factor in that movement. Never in our conversa- 

 tion in the office did he credit himeslf with the conspicuous role, 

 yet it is quite evident to me that his constant agitation of the 

 matter before the California horticultural organizations, and 

 the incessant pressure he brought to bear by means of these 

 upon authorities in Washington was to a considerable degree 

 responsible for Koebele's victorious mission. Once victory was 

 achieved and that so completely and in such an unusual man- 

 ner he was possessed with the idea of controlling all horticul- 

 tural insect pests by means of their natural enemies. 



About 1890 he was prevailed upon to accept the office of 

 inspector and entomologist under the California State Board 

 of Horticulture, a line of "work not previously undertaken any- 

 where and in which he spent the remainder of his life. Always 

 kindly yet always firm in the performance of his duty he stood 

 for fourteen years like a rock at the Golden Gate and jealously 

 guarded his adopted state from horticultural pests of the world. 

 All opposition he swept aside with a smile, without making a 

 foe or losing a friend. He was a keen observer so that by 

 1891 we find him not only familiar with the common garden 

 and orchard pests but describing a species of his favorite group, 

 Hymenoptera Parasitica (Coccophagus (=As2)idiotip]iagus) 

 citrinus. Bull. 57, California State Board of Horticulture, 



