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OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Compere, now traveling with Albert Koebele, who is in the service of 

 the Hawaiian government. The last letter received from George Com- 

 pere was dated October 19th, from Sura, Fiji. He had made several 

 discoveries, and I am very hopeful that some important finds will be 

 the result of his trip. It is my intention, always providing that my 

 brother Commissioners agree with me, to send him to Southern Europe 

 to search for the parasite of the codling moth. It has been asserted that 

 in Southern France, where the codling moth is always present, it has 

 been kept in check by its natural enemy. This information was pub- 

 lished by the State Board nearly twenty years ago. 



The Citron. — The U. S. Department of Agriculture has recently taken 

 a great interest in the culture of the citron. This product is brought into 

 the United States in pickle and processed here so as to avoid the import 

 duty. An arrangement has been made by the Department to have our 

 product processed both in New York and in Chicago. They ask for 

 shipments of not less than one hundred pounds of the different varieties, 

 so as to ascertain if the California fruit is equal to the foreign and to 

 establish the value of this product for us. The fruit must be taken 

 before it turns color. 



Food Adulteration. — In my address at the Fresno Convention last 

 year, and previously, I clearly pointed out the injury done to fruit- 

 growers by adulteration and substitution, the danger to health, and, 

 what is more alarming, the moral aspect. This subject is down on the 

 program to be discussed, and I trust will be fully considered by the 

 convention. We had hoped to obtain legislation to protect the pro- 

 ducers, but failed to get any measure to aid us. I am also sorry to 

 report that the Interstate Pure Food Law that was pending in Congress 

 did not pass. The combination of capital interested in this dishonest 

 and profitable business seems to be too great. How such an important 

 measure is to be reached is more than I can see at this writing. All of 

 us are familiar with the canned beef scandal, spoiled bacon, etc., etc. — 

 no one found guilty and no one punished. In the past summer we 

 were visited by many representatives of Eastern agricultural colleges. 

 A report was made by these representatives that there had been dis- 

 covered a rock in North Carolina that could be ground into powder to mix 

 with wheat flour, and that whole trainloads were sent West and from 

 that point re-shipped East, North, and South to mix with the flour of 

 wheat. There does not appear to be anything that can escape being 

 tampered with by swindlers who want gain without giving an equiva- 

 lent. It is a most distressing state of affairs. 



Water Supply. — This subject is on our program, and no doubt 

 much information will be gained by hearing of the experiences of many 



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