56 PLANT QUAKANTINE AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATION [April-June, 
MEXICAN FRUIT- WORM ERADICATION 
REAPPEARANCE OF THE FRUIT WORM IN TEXAS 
That the Mexican fruit worm had regained foothold in the lower Rio Grande 
Valley of Texas was determined in April by the finding of infestation in two 
local packing houses in which a small quantity of fruit had been stored at the 
close of the period permitted for the harvesting of the citrus crop. Previous 
to such reappearance almost two years had elapsed (from June, 1927, to April, 
1929) during which no specimens of the pest had been found in the area. An 
intensive reexamination disclosed that the premises of 10 growers in Hidalgo 
County were involved in this reinvasion. 
Upon the determination of this infestation all existing permits to ship citrus 
fruit from the district were canceled and new permits were issued authorizing 
the movement of fruit held in storage in the quarantined area only to points 
north of the Cotton Belt. The fruit remaining on the infested properties was 
destroyed. 
As reported in the last issue of the announcements, at the earnest request of 
growers and shippers, supported by requests from the appropriate State officials, 
the time for harvesting the crop of 1928-29 had been extended for the season of 
1929 from February 28 to March 30, this action being based upon the lateness 
of the crop in maturing, the unusually weak demand for citrus fruits throughout 
most of the season, and the seeming absence of an infestation during this and 
the preceding crop, together with the apparently complete elimination of infesta- 
tion in the area. This extension to include what in that section is practically 
a summer month, March, apparently gave opportunity for the insect to become 
reestablished from infested fruit reaching the Mexican towns along the border, 
and as now recognized by all concerned was an error of judgment not to be 
repeated. 
ENFORCEMENT OF A NONHOST OR STARVATION PERIOD 
During the 3-month period the elimination of trees and shrubs which produce 
fruit during the summer season (such as peaches and plums) has reached sub- 
stantial completion. All but 77 of the 37,293 such trees found have been 
destroyed. 
On the subject of alternate host trees the Texas regulations relating to the 
fruit worm were amended by the commissioner of agriculture June 3 by making 
provision that 
in the event any person, firm, or corporation owning such condemned fruit trees shall 
fail or refuse to destroy such trees immediately after having been instructed to do so 
by the commissioner of agriculture, * * * it shall be the duty of said commissioner 
* * * to forthwith destroy such trees, or otherwise render them not a nuisance. 
Under a proclamation issued by the commissioner supplementing this amende 
ment, dated June 20, 1929, it is ordered that 
whereas the introduction of host plants into * * * control zones constitutes a serious 
complication to the Mexican fruit-fly eradication work * * * therefore * * * no 
such host plants shall be permitted to pass over the said quarantine lines hereby estab- 
lished at the boundaries of Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy Counties, except under special 
permit by the commissioner of agriculture. ' 
Related to the above action was an order issued by the State regulating the 
storage of host fruits in the valley and requiring that such fruits 
offered for sale or held in storage in the control zone * * * shall be protected from 
possible infestation by the Mexican fruit worm by being covered with screen not to exceed 
a sixteenth-inch mesh. 
FRUIT MOVEMENT 
To a large extent fruit movement ceased at the end of the harvesting period 
on March 30. The small amounts remaining which were shipped from storage 
brought the total movement for the season from October 1, 1928, to June 30, 1929, 
to 1,745 carloads by freight, to which should be added the equivalent of 233 
carloads by express, and 445 carloads by truck and auto, or a total of 2,423 
carloads of fruit. 
Highway traffic in fruit having practically ceased at the end of March, the 
road station at Encino was closed on April 12. Eleven days later it was re- 
sumed on account of the discovery of infestation in the valley and since that 
time traffic moving in both directions has been inspected in order to prevent the 
entry of Florida fruit which might contain the Mediterranean fruit fly. 
