THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



183 



after I went into the work there was not time for my letters to reach 

 me even if any had been sent. I had. at that time, not yet seen the 

 now famous letter of the State Board of Trade, signed by Mr. E. W. 

 Maslin, Mr. J. A. Filcher, and Mr. B. X. Rowley, and received no 

 instructions from the Secretary of Agriculture or any one else. I am 

 forced to make this public disclaimer in view of the mistaken state- 

 ments that have been published in this State as to the inception and 

 conduct of my work. 



While working at Naples I did have the benefit of the advice of 

 Prof. Paul Mayer, and of Count Solms Laubach, also a famous student 

 of figs and caprification. 



After looking into the matter for a few days I decided to try to send 

 the Blast opliaga to California in the firm winter generation capri figs, 

 which could be shipped in ^larch when the weather at Naples was still 

 cool. ]\[y first shipment, containing capri figs whose cut stems had 

 been waxed and which were wrapped simply in tinfoil and sliipned by 

 samples post, were sent to Washington and reshipped from there, 

 reaching Mr. Geo. C. Roeding in Fresno oii April 15th. Insects issued 

 from the capri figs, and as soon as I learned this I was sure I could 

 succeed in establishing the Blast opliaga by my method, for I had found, 

 on studying the matter, that there Avas a great range in the time of 

 ripening of the winter generation capri figs, which could be had all 

 the way from the oases of the Sahara desert to Botzen in Southern 

 Tyrol. I did not hope to strike the right season in California the first 

 time, and as a matter of fact the winter generation capri figs from 

 Naples and Smyrna ripen too late in spring to reach California at the 

 proper time. 



In July, 1898, I entered the service of the newly established section 

 of Seed and Plant Introduction, of Avhich Mr. David G. Fairchild was 

 in charge. 



]My letter of instructions from Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson 

 authorized me to continue my work on caprification, and accordingly, 

 in ]\Iarch, 1899, I went to Algiers, where, with the amiable cooperation 

 of Dr. L. Trabut, Government Botanist of Algeria, I soon found 

 abundant capri fig trees laden Avith the nearly ripe winter generation 

 capri figs. I shipped them in the same manner as the spring liefore, 

 and my first shipment reached AVashington, D. C. on March 31st. Avhen 

 it was reshipped \w Dr. L. 0. HoAvard, reaching Mr. Geo. C. Roeding 

 on April 6th. A capri fig tree at Fresno was covered with cheese cloth 

 and the insects liberated inside the tree. 



Little attention was paid to the tree after this until June 23, 1899. 

 when ]Mr. John C. Jones in collecting pollen from capri figs for the 

 artificial fertilization of a fe^v Smyrna figs found a capri fig containing 

 male Blast opliagas and still unopened galls containing female Blasto- 

 phagas. Of course, the tented tree Avas noAv given immediate attention. 

 Most of the insects had escaped, but a fcAv capri figs Avere found still 

 full of Blast ophagas, some more were found on an adjoining tree, and 

 a fcAv distant parts of the orchard, proving that some of the insects 

 had escaped from the tent when liberated in April and had found other 

 capri fig trees in which they had bred. 



The insects managed to get established in the summer generation 

 capri figs and by November 10th, when I Adsited the orchard, thousands 



