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TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



without saying. Our State horticultural bureau has been of incalculable 

 value and is now doing excellent work, but it is circumscribed in power 

 and therefore limited in usefulness. 



That we may the better understand what is needed, let us in a few 

 lines review the legislation that is now in existence. The Act of 1883 

 provided for a State Board of Horticulture, for the districting of the 

 State, the appointment of the members of that body, and defined the 

 duties thereof, which duties are: (1) To receive and manage donations; 

 (2) To meet semi-annually; (3) To appoint instructors, without com- 

 pensation; (4) To open and maintain an office, and provide rules and 

 regulations therefor. Which Act, with the several amendments thereto, 

 is the present law. The work of this board has been of untold benefit 

 to the fruit industry in the diffusion of information, and in the general 

 assistance rendered to the fruit-grower the results have largely exceeded 

 the cost. But as this law was enacted when the fruit industry was in 

 its infancy, it does not at the present time meet the demands. 



The Act of 1897 provided for County Boards of Horticulture and 

 defined the duties of said boards, which are: (1) To inspect, when it 

 shall be deemed necessary; (2) To declare nursery stock or individual 

 premises a public nuisance; (3) To give notice to clean up or abate the 

 nuisance; (4) To abate the nuisance if not done by the owner, charg- 

 ing the cost to him. This was also a step in the right direction, and 

 where the law has been properly applied and enforced much good has 

 been accomplished. 



The Act of 1883 is general in character, is intended to be and is 

 merely supervisory and educational. The Act of 1897 is intended to 

 provide a means whereby each county may improve its sanitary con- 

 dition and protect itself from its neighbors. 



The Act of 1899 provides a means whereby our State Board of Horti- 

 culture may protect us against foreigners; that is, prevent the ship- 

 ment of infested stock into our State. 



The question now is, "What changes should be made in order to 

 make more effective our present legislation?" 



Our laws should be amended to provide: 



1st. That the State Board of Horticulture shall have general control 

 of local commissioners; that the county horticultural commissioner or 

 commissioners shall be appointed upon the recommendation of a State 

 or local board, our State University, or some other competent authority. 

 The law of 1897 should be amended reducing the county horticultural 

 commissioners from three to one; that one member should be required 

 to have some knowledge of the business in which he is engaged; he 

 should at least be able to recognize a cutworm from a tapeworm, a 

 Cimex lectularius from a Blissus leucoptarous, and a codling-moth from 

 a coddled politician; he should be appointed because of his knowledge 



