148 



up to be in unison with the laws, and worked conscientiously to assist the 

 officials whose duty it is to execute the law, we would be in better condi- 

 tion to-day in regard to this insect pest. Mr. Hatch seems to think that 

 the levees are all washed away. I do not think so; I think we have been 

 repairing it for two years. I do not think there are as many insect pests 

 in the State as there were two } T ears ago, or one year ago, and I do not 

 believe there would be as much one year hence as there is to-day; we are 

 conquering it; we may not be able to exterminate it, but I have faith in 

 the ingenuity of the white man, and he will conquer it to such a degree as 

 will make fruit growing profitable, but in order to do so, we must cooper- 

 ate together. Something has been said about taxing fruit trees. I am in 

 favor of taxing fruit trees, and then I am in favor of going to the Legisla- 

 ture and asking them to appropriate that tax for a special purpose for the 

 benefit of those trees. I think if we have a little more tax on the fruit 

 trees to go as an appropriation for that purpose, we will have a fund suffi- 

 cient to kill all the bugs in California; and until we have some such appro- 

 priation, and until you tax the man who is too lazy, or too trifling, too 

 negligent to kill a few bugs that are in his yard, we will never exterminate 

 them; but if you make that man pay a tax upon those trees, and let him 

 understand that that tax is appropriated for the special purpose of cleans- 

 ing those trees, we will in time find that every man who has a fruit tree, 

 and has to pay whether he doctors that tree or not, will be taking care of 

 it, and the number of the bugs will be greatly reduced. 



The motion of Mr. Aiken for the appointment of a committee was carried. 



THE PARIS EXPOSITION. 



Professor Husmann, of Napa: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I do 

 not desire to take up your time, but I will refer you to a few documents 

 pertaining to the matter, to enable you to fully understand the objects of 

 the Department of Agriculture, which I have the honor to represent in this 

 matter of the Paris Exposition. [Reads circulars issued from the Agricult- 

 ural Department.] You will at once see the vast importance of this exhibit 

 at Paris, where representatives and visitors from all parts of the world will 

 assemble, and I need not point out at great length what a feather it would 

 be in the cap of this State if we could show them dried fruits better than 

 France can produce, dried prunes as good or better than they produce; if 

 we could show other nations that we produce as good a fig as has been 

 shown here; if we could show to France, the great wine-growing country of 

 the world, which has always taken the lead in those matters, that at this 

 early day we can, as I am fully confident we can, produce as good wines 

 as they, and as good raisins as Spain produces. We can easily see the im- 

 portance of this matter, and while the department has taken this matter 

 in hand, they also solicit special exhibits, either by counties or States, and 

 I am rejoiced to hear that the State Board of Trade is making up such a 

 collection, and also that the State Viticultural Department is making a 

 collection of wines which they will furnish specially, and they have also 

 promised me a full assortment, and have kindly offered me a room in their 

 new building in Piatt's Hall, where I can collect and pack all samples for- 

 warded to me. At first I thought I was only empowered to act in regard 

 to viticultural products, but since then Professor Riley has also requested 



