87 



An examination of the above figures discloses a phenomenal decrease 

 in the number of pests since 1898. A comparison of records shows that 

 28 orchards of a total acreage of 345 acres had 1,609 trees found 

 infested with red scale and fumigated in 1898. The same orchards at 

 the 1899 inspection turned out only 433 infested trees. Also 38 

 orchards, containing 4G0 acres, had 2,134 infested trees in 1898 and 033 

 in 1899. In all of these 3,734 trees fumigated in these 00 orchards con- 

 taining 805 acres, not a single one but was cleaned and the pests 

 destroyed by the fumigation of 1898. Every one of the 1,000 trees found 

 this year were new ones that had never shown infection before. 



These orchards referred to are in the oldest section of the River- 

 side orange district, and the trees, which are seedlings, are mostly over 

 twenty-five years old, and the red scale was established in them when 

 the horticultural commission was established in 1889. The records of 

 the commission show this to be the smallest number of infested trees 

 ever found at any inspection of these groves since the records began, 

 which was April, 1895. 



QUARANTINE. 



The quarantine work is regarded as the most efficient part of the 

 service. The pests kept out do no harm. In this part of the work is 

 included the inspection of all nursery stock grown in the district and 

 the inspection and treatment of all nursery stock and fruit brought in; 

 also the inspection of fruit-packing houses, and attention to all of the 

 methods whereby pests might be carried from one locality to another 

 orchard or locality. So efficient has this work been that no insect 

 pests have been brought into Riverside and become established since 

 the horticultural commission was established; and this, too, in the face 

 of the fact that in 1890, 1891, and 1892 more than 200 carloads of orange 

 nursery stock was brought to this place from Florida and set out. 



A very large proportion of the navel orange orchards was planted 

 with this stock. There was hardly a tree among all of the hundreds of 

 thousands .that was not infested with dangerous pests, and many of 

 them were covered with purple scale. The worst infested trees were 

 burned, and the rest dipped in a strong whale-oil soap and kerosene 

 solution and the insects scrubbed off with stiff bristle brushes. 



A tree was never allowed to be taken away as long as there was any 

 possibility of there being pests on it. Similar vigilance has been 

 observed ever since, and the results have more than justified the care- 

 fulness of the commission. The law requires all persons bringing in or 

 receiving nursery stock to notify the horticultural commissioner or local 

 inspector within twenty-four hours of the time of their arrival. 



The railway and express agents also refuse to deliver such goods 

 except to the horticultural officers. 



All shipments of nursery goods are inspected before delivery to the 

 owners, no matter whose certificate accompanies them, for experience 

 has amply convinced the commission that it can not afford to take any 



