TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUJT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



13 



chusetts, the Morelos orange maggot in Mexico, within two hundred 

 miles of California, the melon maggot in Hawaii, and the fruit-fly in 

 Australia. 



The citrus-growers of Southern California certainly have not forgot- 

 ten the hopeless struggle they had in trying to eradicate the Icerya 

 purchasi, commonly known as the white scale. One citrus-grower in the 

 San Gabriel Valley told me that from his trees, before the advent of 

 the above pest, he had shipped fifty cars of oranges a year, which sold 

 at a profitable price, and that afterward the product was reduced to 

 one car and to nothing. The fact was that all the orange-growing 

 districts of Southern California were approaching bankruptcy, and 

 were saved by the introduction of the ladybird, Vedalia cardinalis. I 

 beg to call your attention to my presentation to Albert Koebele (Report 

 of 1891, page 290). 



What was the effect of the Icerya in South Africa? (See Report of 

 1887-88, page 160.) At Cape Colony orange trees more than two hun- 

 dred years old were cut down; in fact, rosebushes, all plants and shrubs 

 were rooted out. Fire and devastation were resorted to, in order to get 

 rid of this pest; and yet, this insect was found in the forests two 

 hundred miles distant. Afterward, when they learned what we had 

 accomplished in California, an appropriation was made and an agent 

 employed to come to California and take back an ample supply of Vedalia 

 to save that country. They replanted orange groves and are now ship- 

 ping oranges to London. 



I understand that the fruit-fly is there. I am sorry to say that they 

 may have to resort to fire and devastation, as in the former case. 



Last year 25,000 cars of oranges and lemons were shipped from Cali- 

 fornia. If either the gypsy moth, or the Morelos orange maggot, or the 

 fruit-fly gets a foothold in the orange district, you may not ship 25 cars. 



The fruit-fly is the most alarming pest known. It attacks all kinds 

 of fruits and will live in the berries of nightshade. There is no hope 

 except in securing the natural enemy. For further information I refer 

 you to an interview published in the San Francisco "Chronicle" of 

 January 23d, and to an article in the Sunday "Examiner" of Febru- 

 ary 8th. 



At the twenty-sixth Fruit-Growers' Convention a resolution was 

 passed asking the Legislature to appropriate $10,000 to search for para- 

 sitic and predaceous insects. (See Report, page 13.) At the twenty- 

 seventh Fruit-Growers' Convention a similar resolution was passed. 

 (See Report, page 311.) This important matter was unanimously urged. 

 It was the earnest prayer of the fruit-growers. The result, a bill, No. 

 475 in the Assembly, presented by F. A. Duryea, went to the Committee 

 on Fruit and Vines, with recommendation "do pass." It was referred 

 to the Committee on Ways and Means, with recommendation "do not 



