THIRTY-FOrRTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



157 



PROCEEDINGS OF FOURTH DAY. 



Friday, May 1, 1908, 9:30 iVclock a. m. 

 PRESIDENT JEFFREY. :\Ir. E. W. Holmes has a little statement 

 to make about the Riverside navel orange, the premium orange of the 

 world. 



]MR. E. W. HOLLIES. Upon the opening of this Convention, your 

 Chairman, in a jocular way, made reference to a statement which had 

 ])een considerably circuhited, and' which did injustice to horticulturists. 

 1 have asked permission to make a statement in regard to that so there 

 might be no misapprehension about it. 



I happened to be one of seven or eight pioneers who planted the 

 first orange of the navel variety. Only three of that number are now 

 living. Up to that time we were groping in the dark, and had no 

 K'nowledge what was best to do. We did not know whether we could 

 enter the mai»lKets against the Florida orange. A few years after that, 

 the fair at New Orleans was held and it was decided to make an 

 exhibit there of our oranges. The result was that the Riverside exhibit 

 at the fair won the two gold medals and the silver medal for the best 

 exhibit of oranges and the best exhibit of lemons grow^n, against Florida 

 and the world. The statement has been made many times that it was a 

 mistake to say that the prize was won by the Washington navel, as we 

 call it. That statement is a mistake. It is true that there were many 

 Austi-alian navels taken in. because in the largest exhibit we took all 

 varieties, Australian and bloods, and everAi:hing else, and several 

 varieties of lemons; but the award w-as really based upon the superior 

 quality of the navel orange. It was a great surprise to the Eastern 

 people at that time that California should venture to enter the race 

 v.-ith Florida, and shcmld overcome it in its own field. 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. AYe will now hear from the Committee 

 on Resolutions. 



Resolution Favoring the Appointment of County Horticultural Commissions. 



Whereas it is possible that coufiisiou or conflict nv\y olitain rhrouLih the ])ossil>iliry 

 of some counties ai)pointius- a horticultural commission under the County (Toveniiuent 

 Act. instead of uniler the Sr-vr-,- hnv aiiThorizin- the appointment of a ih'-ii Inr com- 

 mission of three mpmbers. and the l;;ck of sueli ocunty commission miiy eml^nrrnss 

 the State Commissioner in ])roi)erly safeauardinu' the horticultural interests i!i the 

 State and enforcing- quarantine : therefore, be it 



Resolrcf]. That the best interests of the State demand that every counry should 

 promptly comply with the State law and organize a reaular commission of three 

 members, and not proceed in any other way. thereby streuutheniug- the work of the 

 State Commissioner of Horticulture in preventing- the introduction or spread of 

 danperous insect pests or diseases. 



Respectfullv submitted. 



A. V. STEUBEXRAT'(7T. 

 C. B. MESSENGER. 

 H. C. ROV\T.EY. 



