The Foothill Groves, Inc., of Yorba Linda, associated with the Mutual Orange Distributors, is adding to its present packing plant so as Unlock the Nourishment in Your Soil with to give more lemon storage room and to per- Toro Brand Agricultural Sulphur mit the installation of more modern orange packing equipment. The new addition is to be 75x106 feet in size and of permanent structure, having re-inforced concrete and tile walls, with a steel-trussed roof. An up-to-date ventilation system is being installed, as well as a plunge elevator to accommodate the new storage basement. The plans for the new structure were prepared by a California architect and the packing equipment furnished by a California firm. Compare These Two Articles "Commerce Reports" says that: "German residents in Japan are reported as steadily increasing in number, now almost double that of pre-war days. Most of them are employed in firms and factories as engineers, and it is stated that nearly a hundred applications for positions in Japan have been received from German engineers and experts. The imports of toys, chemicals, and dyestuffs from Germany during the first 10 months of 1920 amounted to $1,000,000." "Better America Federation" of California says that: "The Japanese government is again carrying on a strong propaganda in this country. The chief propagandist is a Dr. Gulick from Chicago, who is lobbying in the offices of large corporations for the Japs. A Japanese named Kawashina, who passed through Chicago on his way East, visited every radical book store in the city and purchased books written about the social question of the Japanese by radicals. He was very well versed on economic and social questions and lauded Debs and Lenine as the two greatest living men." "You are charged with selling adulterated milk," said the judge. "Your Honor, I plead not guilty." "But the testimony shows that it is 25 per cent water." "Then it must be high-grade milk," returned the defendant. "If your Honor will look up the word 'milk' in your dictionary you will find that it contains from 80 to 90 per cent water. I should have sold it for cream!"Success Magazine. For Every Type of Building- PIONEER PAPER CO. The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. Western Cement Coated Nails We also manufacture Steel Rails and Fastenings, Bar Our Cement Coated Nails are of uniform length, gauge, head and count, and especially adapted to the making of fruit boxes and crates. The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. Steel Works-Pueblo, Colorado General Offices-Boston Building, Denver, Colorado Division Sales Offices-Citizens Nat'l Bank Bldg., Los Angeles Among The Packers NORTHERN PACKERS GET RESULTS Among the prominent packers of citrus fruits in the northern part of the State, are the Cobb and Dofflemyer houses located at Exeter and Naranjo. These houses are owned and operated by J. G. Cobb and W. T. Dofflemyer, both of whom are experienced in this field. All fruit is sold by them through the Mutual Orange Distributors of Redlands. The methods of these men have brought them success. "Growers have been given good results and do not hesitate to acknowledge the satisfaction given by this medium of selling" states Mr. Cobb in a recent communication. Mr. Cobb is one of the most active and efficient packers affiliated with the M. O. D. NATIVE SON ORCHARDS CO. PLANS The Native Son Orchards Co. was organized during the summer of 1917, Mr. R. O. MacDonald acting as manager. The packing house was erected during the summer and the company began business during the navel season of 1917. It has just finished handling its fourth navel crop. In speaking of the house, Mr. McDonald says, "This packing house is located upon the Santa Fe rails at Lindsay. The Santa Fe was R. O. MacDonald selected as the railroad upon which to place our plant, because of the fact that the average running time between California and Chicago is practically 36 hours shorter. On a rapidly declining market such as we always experience on Tulare County navels this is an important factor. The ability of the Santa Fe line to furnish cars was also an important consideration." The Native Son Orchards Co. has since its beginning steadily increased its business, each season shipping a little more fruit than the previous season, indicating a steady and wholesome growth, due to efficient handling of their fruit. It is the plan of the management to add 60 or 80 feet to the building during 1921 in order to be in a better position to render growers better service, and secure better results. "It is the policy of this house not to see how much fruit it can handle, but rather to see how well its fruit can be handled," is the declaration of Mr. MacDonald. The Native Son Orchards Co. markets its fruit through the Mutual Orange Distributors. Mr. MacDonald has had eleven years' experience in the citrus industry. He began his work in 1910 as a tally man for the California Citrus Union at Porterville. The following year he acted in the same capacity for the O'Neill Fruit Co. at Lindsay. In 1912 he was given complete charge of the interests of that organization in the Lindsay district. Under his guidance, the Hillside Orange Association was formed in 1915. Mr. MacDonald was its manager, and through his efforts a modern packing house was constructed. In 1917 he entered the citrus industry as a packer and shipper under the name of the Native Son Orchard Co.. erecting an efficient packing house in Lindsay which he still directs. This house is located in Lindsay just south of the Santa Fe depot. He Succeeded It was a very hot day, and the fat salesman who wanted the twelve-twenty train got through the gate at just twelve-twenty-one. The ensuing handicap was watched with absorbed interest from both the train and the station platform. At its conclusion the breathless and perspiring knight of the road wearily took the back trail, and a vacant-faced "redcap" came out to relieve him of his grip. "Mister," he inquired, "was you tryin' ter ketch dat Chicago train?" "No, my son," replied the patient man. "No, I was merely chasing it out of the yard." Show an intelligent man where he's wrong, and he'll thank you; try to show an ignorant one and he'll curse you because he doesn't know better. German Trade in the Far East The activity of German trade in the Far Eastern market is noted in the Japan Chronicle, which states that the total of this trade during the first nine months of 1920 amounted to $380,000 in exports and $515,000 in imports.. American Dollars on the Job A company, called the Union Petroleum Company of Belgium, has just been established in Ghent with a capital of 2,000,000 francs (2,000 shares of 1,000 francs each and privilege of increasing to 5,000,000 francs), of which at least half is owned by American companies. Financial circles are watching with interest, the California Bureau of Economics recently created to study the economic requirements of California and to look into the financing and needs for adequate development of public service organizations. The Bureau is located at Sacramento. D. M. Reynolds, of Pasadena, is the Managing Director of the Bureau. America is calling to the students of her high schools and colleges to make California and the Nation a Better and Bigger Home for all of us. i CITRUS VOL. 1. LEAVES July, 1921 THE ARGENTINE ANT and its relation to the Citrus Industry of Southern California Assistant Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture The Argentine Ant was introduced into the United States at the close of the nineteenth century through the port of New Orleans, probably on the coffee ships coming from Brazil. From the docks and warehouses of this city it spread rapidly throughout the residential sections and even to adjoining cities along the main thoroughfares. Its importance as an insect pest was quickly realized, for it was found to have an important relation to' crop production and to food storage, and proved most annoying as a household pest. Today this pest is reported as far north as Nashville, Tennessee, and midway up the Atlantic seaboard. The exact date nor the definite means of its introduction into California are not known, though it possibly was brought here on some nursery or freight shipments from the Gulf states. The first record of its occurrence in Southern California was made in 1905 at Ontario. A general survey made by Prof. Woodworth of the University of California in 1908 showed it to be widely distributed about the an Francisco Bay region and over limited areas in Los Angeles, Azusa and Upland. By 1910 the same investigator placed its distribution at 4000 acres in Northern California and 1000 acres in Southern California. A recent survey by the United States Department of Agriculture shows the pest to be found in every county south of the Tehachapi (excepting Imperial, in which no canvass was made) and to cover an area of from 8000 to 10,000 acres of citrus alone. In Northern California it has spread from the coastal region well into the large interior valleys. The natural spread of this insect is relatively slow. In most instances it has not spread more than 100 yards each year by its own travel. It is by other means that its wide distribution has been accomplished, and of these distribution through nursery stock shipments, manure and freight are the mort important. Repeated instances of dispersal through infested nursery stock from the Los Angeles nurseries have been noted. Manure piles form a favorite nesting place, and the universal use of this fertilizer throughout the citrus sections has undoubtedly aided the distribution. Complete colonies of ants have been found in freight shipments from candy and biscuit factories from heavily-infested areas. Though it is necessary that a fertilized queen ant accompany the workers in order to estab NO. 2 lish a new colony or infestation, the nesting habits of these ants makes distribution by these means possible. The damage to the citrus orchards in Southern California does not arise from direct attacks on the blossoms, fruit or foliage, but is attributable very largely to its symbiotic manner of living with the mealybug, aphis and various scales which results in the increase of the latter beyond all customary proportions. The preferred food of the ants is the honey dew secreted by the above-named insect pests, and also certain soft-bodied insects. In return for the honey dew secreted by the mealy bugs and scales the ants protect them from their natural enemies and stimulate the developments Ants Feeding on Mealy-bugs of these pests through the distribution of these insects to other parts of the tree, or even to adjacent trees. Particularly has this been noted in the relation of the Argentine ant to the mealy bug on citrus. The eradication of the ant in every instance has resulted in a reduction of the mealy bug infestation to a commercial control due largely to the increased and un restricted activity of the predatory insects. Another important point is noted in that in every instance of a severe outbreak of mealy bug the Argentine ant has been present and undoubtedly stimulated the infestation beyond control. Infestations of black scale and soft-brown Scale have been observed to become decidedly more numerous on trees attended by large numbers of ants. Severe infestations of soft brown scale have been repeatedly freed by the action of parasitic insects following the control of this ant. In heavily-infested areas the loss in efficiency of labor amounts to a large item. The pruners, pickers and orchardists lose enough time in stopping to brush off the annoying ants to more than pay for complete control. Beekeeping in sections heavily infested with this ant is most difficult, and only after the ants have been controlled can it be successfully followed. As a household pest it possibly ranks first in importance. It invades ail parts of the house in search of food, and in heavily-infested areas has repeatedly driven tenants from their homes. These ants preferably nest under the ground in places providing the proper warmth, moisture and drainage. Besides the immature forms of egg, larva and pupa the colony is composed of the queen (there may be only a few or as many as 150) whose duty it is to produce the eggs; the male (usually winged and appearing only through the warmer periods of the year) and the worker (imperfect females) who gather the food and attend to the labors of the community. The workers are the form most commonly noted, and are recognized by their small size, light brown color, activity and trailing habits. The size of the community varies greatly with The the season, the food supply and its age. maximum growth starts in early spring (March or April) and continues on through the warm summer months. In late fall (November) large central winter colonies are formed in which reproduction and activity is greatly retarded. These points determine largely the proper time to take up orchard control work. The best results have been obtained by installing control means in October or again in March. At these seasons the days and nights are cool and the food supply of the ants is appreciably less. Furthermore, reproduction within the colonies is cut to a minimum and the workers feed more readily on the poisoned syrup. Various control means have been tried, including tanglefoot banding to keep the ants off the trees and trap-nesting in winter to destroy the colonies; but none have given the success of the poisoned ant syrup made according to the Government formula.* This syrup is a modification of the syrup successfully used by E. R. Barber, a Government man, at New Orleans. It is composed of a sugar solution poisoned with sodium arsenite (C. P.) with honey added as: an attraction to the ants. The principle is a weak stomach poison which the workers gather and carry down into the colony to feed to the queen and young. In due time the heart of the colony is destroyed, and eventually a complete eradication is effected. An ounce to an ounce and a half of the syrup is hung in a suitable container on each tree in the infested orchards. The most suitable container is the two-ounce paraffined spice can with a small hole punched near the top by which to hang the can and admit the ants. Paraffined bags, properly prepared, have been used with success, but have the disadvantage of allowing greater evaporation of the syrup and frequently leaking. Drops of the syrup on the trunks of the trees, if allowed to accumulate, will cause gumming. The preparation of this syrup, though not complex,, should be handled by a druggist or other competent agent. The distribution and "follow-up" work should be centralized as much as possible, and preferably a community project under the direct supervision of one man. Extensive demonstrations of control have been followed out at Upland, Riverside and Alhambra with excellent results. At Upland control work was installed during 1917 and 1918 on over 490 acres of citrus. In 1919 110 acres was added to this control area. In the fall of 1919 a careful inspection showed complete eradication on over 450 acres and the entire arca was under control by the spring of 1920. The cost per tree averaged approximately 4 cents. At Riverside over 500 acres were placed under control during the fall and spring of 1919-1920 by the National Orange Company with excellent results throughout at an exceptionally low cost. In the control of the soft brown scale ant eradication has largely replaced the more costly practice of fumigation. To summarize the importance of this insect pest to the citrus industry of Southern California, its rapid spread throughout our citrus belt and its relation to the control of some of the most important citrus insect pests demand concerted action in control. The control means have been successfully employed over a large area at a very low cost, and very appreciable results have been obtained. *Copies of this formula mav be obtained of the field station, Bureau of Entomology, 824 North Curtis Ave., Alhambra, Cal. ECONOMICAL BUYING means an added margin of profit for the citrus grower. You must buy your necessary supplies at bed rock prices. YOU CAN take advantage of one of the best opportunities along this line, by ordering your requirements through the Supply Department of the Mutual Orange Distributors. GROWERS and packing house managers are both urged to confer with this department on all questions of supplies. Address Supply Department, Mutual Orange Distributors 904 Hollingsworth Bldg., Los Angeles, California |