134 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



interests of California were at once brought face to face with the 

 gravest problem that has confronted that industry for many years. 

 The Florida white fly being undoubtedly the most dreaded of all citrus 

 pests, and known the world over as the one most difficult to combat, the 

 announcement that this dreaded foe of citrus culture had finally eluded 

 the quarantine guardians of this State, had gained admission, and was 

 firmly established on various trees and plants in the city of Marysville, 

 brought forth exclamations of fear from every corner of the State. 



One of California's foremost industries is that of citrus culture; the 

 yearly revenue produced from our present planting reaches almost 

 forty millions of dollars. The distribution of this enormous fund 

 finally reaches every industry in the State ; consequently, when it was 

 announced that this great industry was threatened to the point of 

 almost complete destruction, by the invasion of this Florida pest, the 

 most drastic measures were necessary to be enacted and every effort 

 exerted in an endeavor to stay its march and attempt to eradicate it at 

 its point of first discovery. 



Unfortunately, that point was the beautiful city of Marysville. How 

 it came to be brought here is somewhat of a conjecture, which probably 

 will never be satisfactorily solved. After due deliberation in propor- 

 tion to the danger which confronted us, and after submitting speci- 

 mens of the pest to all those in authority, even up to the highest in the 

 United States Government, and in each case the classification being 

 verified, we then knew that we had a battle before us with the worst of 

 all citrus pests. 



California has stood in awe of this particular species ol insect pest 

 for many years, and as far back as 1901 quarantine regulations were 

 enacted against the possible introduction of the same into our State, 

 and since that time a great deal of study has been devoted to the pest ; 

 all works on the subject were freely consulted and its life history care- 

 fully considered; all remedies and artificial means of eradication 

 applied in other states were watched with much interest; different 

 experiments were noted and filed for reference, should the pest ever 

 make its appearance in our State, so that we would be in shape to 

 handle the same, in the most intelligent, practical manner, and avoid 

 the mistakes of theoretical ideas and impractical experiments. 



Upon the first appearance of the pest in. California, the forces of 

 the State and County Horticultural Commissions were at once brought 

 together on the subject, the point of infestation was visited, and 

 inspectors were placed in the field, the ground gone over very care- 

 fully to ascertain the boundaries of infestation, ways and means of 

 procedure discussed, various ideas that had been tried in an experi- 

 mental way in other states were considered and the works on the sub- 

 ject again carefully gone through, with the result that the previous 



