148 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS^ CONVENTION. 



on orange groves, we refrain from giving names to the following; testi- 

 monials. The originals are, of course, on file." Then follows "8an 

 Diego, Cal., July, 1907. Samples arrived in fine shape. Please send the 

 following order." And so on down through a long list — San Luis 

 Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Diego again, Holtville, El Centro, Lordsburg. 



Now, I happen to know — I have been in Florida and have seen the 

 white fly in action, and I have seen this man's nursery, and it is located 

 in the center of one of the districts where the white fly is most destruc- 

 tive. I assume from the fact that these shipments have been coming in 

 in good order, and all through the year of 1907. that they have been 

 consigned by mail. We are confronted with a continual shipment of 

 orange trees from one of the worst districts in Florida for the white 

 fly. Of course, I assume that there is no man interested in an orange 

 grove, no man who knows the nature of these things, that would be 

 guilty of such carelessness in the iMH^-eption of such plants which may be 

 infested; but, as Mr. Jeffrey .sug<i( sts, we can by using some suasion with 

 the Agricultural Department obtain the right to inspect or receive a 

 notification from the post office that such packages are to be received. 

 We will probably have repeated infestations of white fly bobbing up 

 in every district in California to which these packages may be sent. 

 I only bring this in in corroboration of what Mr. Jeffrey has said, that 

 that is our great danger. 



MR. JEFFREY. About two ^ears ago a lady in Hollywood brought 

 a bunch of plants over to the office and said that we could inspect them. 

 We burned them, and she expected it when she brought them in. 

 They were gotten from tliis same firm. AYe talked the matter over, and • 

 she said if she recei\(^(l any moi-t' plniiis slie would let us know. Her 

 husband got a letter from the Florida firm in regard to the quarantine, 

 stating as f oIIoavs : ' ' We have no fear ' of detection ' ' — that they had 

 means of sending their ])laiits into the State without marking or any 

 means of identification, and not to pay any attention to the horticul- 

 tural commissioners of Los Angeles County, that it was their l)usiness, 

 and not the commissioners' business to interfere. 



MR. CUNDIFF. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: We have 

 heard the various C|uestions relative to the cultivation and marketing 

 of fruits very ably discussed by people from different parts of the 

 State, who, I am sure, have demonstrated their ability to handle these 

 subjects in a very entertaining and instructive way. The only regret 

 that I have, as a Riversider. is that we have so few of our people here, 

 to have the benefit of these discussions. The business of fruit growing, 

 while the greatest in the State, has its back sets and reverses and dark 

 sides, the same as almost every other line of business. The business of 

 the horticultural commissioner is largely on the dark side of it, or the 

 pest side of it. You who were here the other day and were fortunate 

 enough to hear the very able paper presented by Professor Cook, of 

 Claremont, will remember that he referred to the damages in this 

 State on account of injurious insects and plant diseases. I knew it v> as 

 a large sum, but I had no idea that it attained anything like the pro- 

 portions it does. I presume that Professor Cook has had the facilities 

 for getting accurate information, and he places it in this State at fifteen 



