30 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 
in which the use of the glass traps showed infestation would be more effective 
as an eradication measure than the more or less spot spraying of all the bearing 
trees with the hand sprayers. After the trapping of adult Mexican fruit flies 
in Decembera three-way agreement was therefore entered into, whereby Cameron 
and Hidalgo Counties each purchased a small power sprayer, the Bureau sup- 
plied the material for the spray and the automobile chassis on which to mount the 
sprayers, and the State of Texas furnished the labor for the application. These 
sprayers were small enough to be driven between closely planted trees, yet devel- 
oped sufficient power to allow the application of the poison to the tops of the 
highest trees. As an additional precaution, the bearing trees within a consider- 
able zone around several of the most heavily infested areas were given an applica- 
tion of the spray. Details of the spraying activities are given in table 9. The 
proportions of nicotine and molasses used were the same as those reported last 
year. 
Table 9. — Summary of spraying operations, fiscal year 1934 
Month 
January 
February.. 
March 
April 
May. 
June 
Total 
Trees 
sprayed 
Number 
4,668 
13, 615 
13, 489 
24, 838 
32, 542 
6,505 
95, 657 
Premises 
sprayed 
Number 
243 
Material used 
Nicotine 
Gallons 
20 
59 
67 
121 
122 
30 
419 
Molasses 
Gallons 
392 
1,367 
1, 357 
2,433 
2,427 
605 
8,581 
CERTIFICATION OF FRUIT 
Prior to the tropical hurricanes that struck the valley in August and September 
thepotential crop had been estimated at 16,000 carloads of citrus fruit. Despite 
the loss occasioned by these storms, total shipments equivalent to 4,091 carloads 
were certified during the season, which was only 570 carloads less than quantities 
shipped during the preceding season. 
Of particular interest is the fact that 63 percent of the crop was shipped by 
truck, as compared to 44 percent shipped by rail and 3 percent by express. This 
was the first season that the truck shipments exceeded those by rail. About 
92 percent of the entire orange crop of 984 carloads was handled by the truckers. 
Although the majority of the truck shipments were destined for points in Texas 
and were certified under the Texas regulations, 2,431 Federal master permits 
were issued for shipments by road vehicles to 21 States and the District of 
Columbia. 
In order to relieve the district inspectors of the onerous burden of issuing per- 
mits for the large number of trucks loaded on holidays and after 5 p. m., the office 
at Edinburg, the gateway of the valley, was kept open on holidays and from 
5 p. m. to 1 a. m., for the purpose of supplying permits for truck loads of fruit 
originating in the various packing plants of the valley. Loads not clearing through 
a packing house were required to be covered by permits issued by the inspector 
in the district in which the grove of origin was located. 
ROAD-TRAFFIC INSPECTION 
The road-traffic-inspection station on the main highway leaving the lower Rio 
Grande Valley was operated from September to the close of the harvesting period 
on April 5. As no limited destination or fruit-sterilization requirements were in 
effect owing to the absence of any known larval infestation during the harvesting 
period, inspections were confined to commercial loads moving by truck, and 
passenger automobiles were allowed to proceed without checking as to the presence 
of fruit. As will be seen from table 10, a total of 10,934 truck loads of fruit were 
checked by the station during the time it was in operation. During the height 
of the shipping season an average of 75 fruit trucks passed the station daily. 
