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



prising that California should have introduced some very injurious 

 pests. 



The first horticultural laws enacted in this State were mainly designed 

 to prevent the introduction of insect pests, plant diseases, etc., on nur- 

 sery stock and fruits coming into the port of San Francisco. In 1883 

 the law was amended by providing for a State Board of Horticulture, 

 consisting of nine members, who were appointed by the Governor., This 

 board served without compensation, except a per diem during their 

 attendance at the annual or semi-annual meetings. In 1889 the law 

 was again amended, making it mandatory upon County Boards of 

 Supervisors, upon a petition signed by a certain number of owners of 

 orchards, to appoint a County Board of Horticulture, consisting of 

 three members. The law was again amended in 1903, creating the office 

 of State Commissioner of Horticulture. 



Thus it will be seen that our State, through its Legislature, has 

 always shown a friendly interest in what is to-day our leading industry. 

 Every change in the original law of 1881 has been in the nature of an 

 improvement and has shown a commendable desire upon the part of 

 our lawmakers to give every needed encouragement and protection to 

 our fruit interests. 



Unfortunately, a number of serious insect pests had gained entrance 

 and had become firmly established before any preventive legislation 

 was enacted. Such destructive scale pests as the red, cottony cushion, 

 San Jose, and purple, as well as a number of other injurious insects and 

 plant diseases, had become quite firmly established throughout some of 

 the fruit-growing sections of our State before any quarantine laws 

 were in operation. Had the importance of these preventive measures 

 been properly understood by our horticulturists and the necessary 

 quarantine restrictions enacted ten or fifteen years prior to the law of 

 1881, there is little doubt that the introduction of many of the fruit 

 pests that are costing large sums of money to combat would have been 

 prevented. 



But for the strict quarantine regulations maintained at San Fran- 

 cisco and other ports of entry of our State, it would certainly be but 

 a short time before many other injurious pests would gain admission. 

 Our ever increasing commercial relations with Oriental and tropical 

 countries, where insect life is abundant and destructive, would soon 

 add greatly to the burdens of our fruit-growers and farmers, by the 

 introduction of other insect pests and plant diseases. 



The estimated damage to agricultural and horticultural products, 

 timber, etc., in the United States, by injurious insects and plant dis- 

 eases, for the year 1904, according to the report of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, reached the enormous total of over six hundred million 



