313 



tonio Township, and was decided against the State on the 17th. The evidence of the 

 defense was simply a line of individual theories, in fact farcical, when compared with 

 the important results of years of study by scientific entomologists and the long and 

 tried experience of the most thorough and intelligent horticulturists of our own 

 county. 



It is not and has not been the policy of this commission to enforce indiscriminate 

 spraying without regard to the existence of parisitic insects, but in the case of Mr. 

 Cass it was evident to us that unless prompt measures were taken the Santa Ana red 

 scale would effect a lodgment in this district that -would eventuate in its spreading 

 to every citrus fruit orchard in Los Angeles County iu another twelve months. 



The result of our efforts, when it is considered as the consequence ot public opinion, 

 is certainly a sad commentary on Los Angeles County as a citrus or deciduous fruit 

 growing district. This commission endeavors to squelch the most dreaded of all red 

 scale insects in its incipiency, an insect that has no effective parasite, but are pre- 

 vented from doing so by a jury influenced by the public opinion of Vernon district. 



In connection with this deplorable result we hand you herewith a careful compila- 

 tion of statistics, showing the uumber of citrus trees now under cultivation in the 

 county. It does not include trees situated in acreage cut up into "town lots," or 

 that have been abandoned or are not worthy of future care. 



Description. 



Age ten Age five Age five 



years and years to years and 



over. ten. under. 



Number of orange trees , 



Number of lemon trees 



Number of lime trees 



Number of citron and pomalo trees 



289, 677 



18, 055 



4,575 



15 



1 19, 530 | 

 29, 345 

 435 

 15 



187, 500 



10, 350 



150 



Iu addition to this there are 395,000 budded orange and lemon trees in nursery 

 form that will be planted the coming season. This does not include seed-bed plants. 



Thus there will be 1,054,647 citrus fruit trees, the comparative income from which 

 can be easily computed, that will be threatened with ruin by an insect pest that the 

 commission have been opposed in their endeavors to check. 



In our previous reports we have called your attention to the quarantine of other 

 counties against our nursery stock and fruit. The wide publicity given this late ob- 

 struction to the law, made to protect and promote the horticultural interests of the 

 State, will still further enact against the county. 



We are pleased, however, to report that in some portions of the county producers 

 are alive to the value of our fruit industries, and realize the necessity of vigilant 

 protection. In connection therewith we hand you a communication from the Po- 

 mona Board of Trade, inclosing resolutions adopted by that body. 



Our instructions to inspectors have been to inforce the law in all cases in reference 

 to infected fruit exposed for sale, and since receipt of Pomona Board of Trade reso- 

 lution we have renewed said instructions. 



It will be apparent to you that if the trees under cultivation and to be set out this, 

 season are to return an income to our producers, and if Los Angeles County is to re- 

 tain its well-earned reputation as a citrus-fruit growing county; and still further, if 

 the thousands of acres in this county so well adapted for fruit-growing are to be set- 

 tled up and cultivated by fruit-growers, it will be necessary to redouble all previous 

 efforts in a warfare against insect pests. 



We regret to report that duriug the past month a new insect pest, that is. new to 

 this county, has found a lodgmeut here. We refer to the " Purple scale" that has. 

 been introduced on the large number of orange trees now being brought into the 

 State from Florida. Effective means are, however, beiug used by us in stamping it 



