PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 161 



amended and improved as the original law was shown to be defective, 

 or that it could be improved, until now we have a law that is considered 

 as near perfect as it is possible to get through a legislative body. As 

 proof of that assertion, I may state that it has been so decided upon 

 various points by several Superior Courts and by the Supreme Court of 

 the State. Our efforts in this direction have been watched by other 

 States and countries, and now few are without similar laws. A bulletin 

 containing these horticultural laws and court decisions has just been 

 issued by the State Board of 'Horticulture, and can be had upon 

 application. 



The Act creating the State Board of Horticulture gave that body 

 the power to make regulations governing disinfection and preventing 

 the spread of contagious tree diseases and fruit pests, and regulations 

 were accordingly adopted aiming to prevent the further introduction of 

 such pests. The people of several States claimed that our regulations 

 were intended to cripple their tree business, so retaliatory measures were 

 threatened if we did not relax our inspection regulations and admit 

 everything in the tree line. Instead of resorting to such measures, how- 

 ever, they became more careful, and the necessity of protecting them- 

 selves yearly became more evident to them, so that now they have laws 

 of their own, and we hear nothing of retaliation from the other side of 

 the Rockies. 



The adaptability of California soil and climate to the cultivation of 

 fruits was early recognized by the Padres, and orchards were planted 

 near their Mission buildings and by a few pioneers in other sections. 

 Upon the change of governments, and occupation by Americans, fruit- 

 growing made rapid strides, and upon the completion of the first over- 

 land railroad it received a great impetus, and new varieties of fruit and 

 other trees were introduced from all parts of the United States and 

 the Orient. With the plants came their insect pests and diseases. 

 Our climate, that is so conducive to the production of fine fruits, is 

 also favorable to the increase of insect pests, and they multiplied 

 accordingly. Soon their injurious presence was made manifest by the 

 yellow and stunted appearance of the leaves and trees. This was in the 

 early seventies, and the orchardists had practically no method of com- 

 bating such pests on the extensive scale that was necessary. Remedies 

 were both crude and expensive, and the manner of applying them was 

 both slow and wasteful. The old-time perforated ^' rose," for use in apply- 

 ing liquid remedies to orchard trees, was out of the question, so the Mari- 

 got nozzle was invented and manufactured by Wesley Fanning, of San 

 Jose. This is now generally known as the ''San Jose nozzle." Instead 

 of the solution being applied to the tree in a heavy shower, it issued in 

 the form of a fine spray, reaching nearly every portion, thoroughly 



11 — F-GC 



