THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' COX\'ENTIOX. 



141 



numbers of trees and plants planted in this State are now grown within 

 its borders, and the shipment of these is of greatest concern to us, 

 as we have now many dangerous pests in various parts of the State 

 which are not thoroughly disseminated, and their further spread should 

 be vigorously fought against. 



When I began this paper. I was under the impression that regulations 

 similar to those af my own county were somewhat general throughout 

 the State. I was very much surprised at being unable to find any 

 other county reciprocating in kind. The rules adopted in 1901 by 

 the Los Angeles County Commission require the inspection of all 

 plants and trees shipped from within its borders, whether to points 

 within or outside the county. A shipping tag must be attached, and 

 a certificate of inspection mailed to the inspector at point of destination. 

 Every inspector is forbidden to issue such a certificate unless he 

 has made careful examination of the stocks. Our inspectors are, how- 

 ever, all human lieint:s, and are therefore not infallible, so that some 

 slight infections may pass them unnoticed, especially so, as Los Angeles 

 is so great a distributing point for nursery and florists' stocks. Each 

 inspector is required to examine every shipment coming into his 

 district before allowing it to be planted, even though it bear a certificate 

 from an adjoining district ; and he must report at the next monthly 

 meeting of inspectors and commissioners any infections he may find 

 on such shipments, so that each inspector's work is under constant 

 scrutiny of all his associates. All the railway and express companies 

 readily cooperate with our commission in putting into etfect our rule, 

 which requires tliat no common carrier may receive for shipment within 

 the county any plants or trees, unless accompanied by an inspection 

 tag: and also the rule that the local inspector at point of destination, or 

 the commission, shall be notified, on the arrival of every shipment, 

 and delivery withheld for orders from such inspection officer. 



Should every county in the State which ships trees or plants enforce 

 a similar set of rules, the inspection certificate might become of immense 

 value. The commissions of some counties with which I have had 

 occasion to deal for some years, while the most exacting in their 

 requirements against the least infection going into their counties, 

 manifest the utmost indifference as to the condition of stocks sent out 

 by them, apparently solicitous for the interests of their own nursery- 

 men, but not concerned for the welfare of those who plant these stocks 

 or for the general good of the, fruit industries of our great State. 

 The true value of the inspection certificate must after all depend upon 

 the individual qualifications and integrity of the man makine the 

 inspection upon which it is based. Men possessing proper ciualifieations 

 for this work are not easily secured, especially as places liiL^h' r up 

 are seeking such men, and are never fully supplied. Then too. the 

 pittance allowed them for their services by our State law ( $2.50 per 

 day without expenses), does not make the occupation inviting to many 

 of the best men, and its meagreness may be used in justification for 

 neglect of duty by those employed. A stream never rises higher than 

 its source, so the acts of our horticultural inspectors are not apt to 

 rise superior to the incentives furnished them by those who appoint 

 them, so that unless the policies adopted by the commissions of the 

 various counties are the result of ripe experience, good judgment, and 



