PROCEEDINGS OP NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 79 



It will only be a couple of years until it will rule supreme throughout 

 every valley in the State and the foothills of the Sierra, from the Oregon 

 line to the Mexican border. Furthermore, some people have the idea 

 that the Russian thistle ravages only alfalfa districts. It will grow any- 

 where. Let it have its way for three years in this State and $3,000,000 

 will be necessary to exterminate it. 



Mr. Righter: I move that the question of the Russian thistle be 

 referred to the Committee on Legislation. 



Mr. Sprague: That puts it off a year. I shall not be satisfied with 

 such reference at the present time. 



Mr. Weinstock: I will ask the Secretary of the State Board of Exam- 

 iners the question, as to whether there is any State fund that may be 

 used for the purpose of exterminating the Russian thistle? 



Mr. Markley, Secretary State Board of Examiners: There is not. 

 Money cannot be taken out of the funds without legislative enactment. 

 The situation is this : The law provides that no money can be taken out 

 of the Treasury of the State without an appropriation first being made 

 by the Legislature. 



Mr. Adams: The only way to get that money from the State is to 

 create that kind of public sentiment which may lead to securing an 

 appropriation; or, you might get some capitalist to advance the money. 

 There is no other way to do. 



Mr. Righter's motion, that the matter be referred to the Committee 

 on Legislation, was then adopted. 



BENEFICIAL INSECTS. 



Essay by Felix G. Havens, Horticultural Commissioner of Riverside. 



Before one can report intelligently on the work of any beneficial insect 

 in our Riverside orchards, it will be necessary to state a few facts by 

 way of explanation. 



In our valley we have about 12,500 acres planted to orange and lemon 

 trees, and, as far as the dissemination of either insect pests or beneficial 

 insects is concerned, it is practically one vast orchard. 



Fully three fourths of these groves are absolutely free of any and all 

 kinds of insect pests. The remaining one fourth is more or less infested 

 with black scale (Lecanium olese), but not to exceed 1,000 acres in all is 

 sufficiently infested to do any damage. 



The black scale, however, is an insect that has been present to some 

 extent on some of our trees for years, but had never done any damage 

 or caused any alarm until about three years ago. At that time a few 

 orchardists had their groves sprayed, but there was no general effort in 

 that direction. Then followed the report of the success of the Rhizobius 

 ventralis in the orchards of Santa Barbara County. Our City Board of 

 Trustees, after an investigation into the merits of the Rhizobius, arranged 

 with County Commissioner T. N. Snow, of Santa Barbara, for colonies 

 of the beetles for distribution in the Riverside orchards. Under this 

 arrangement about 15,000 were received and liberated in our groves 

 during October and November, 1894. They were divided into small 

 lots of from 50 to 100 each, and usually placed in the groves by owners. 



