40 President's adduess. 



In Bermuda, in consequence of the damage done to the 

 orchards by the advent of the Mediterranean Frviit-fly (Cera- 

 titis capitata), "The Fruit-fly Destruction Act" was passed 

 in 1907. Under this Act, Fruit- Inspectors were appointed to 

 see that all infested fruit and windfalls were collected and 

 destroyed. The results, judging from the latest reports, are 

 very satisfactory. A number of regulations have been made 

 on the advice of the Imperial Department of Agriculture in 

 the West Indies, to deal chiefly with the importation of seeds, 

 plants, and cuttings. The first of these came into force 

 between 1883 and 1898, to prevent the introduction of the 

 dread coffee-leaf disease (^Ilemileia). The more recent 

 regulations allow the importations, but enforce the fumiga- 

 tion or treatment of all such imported seeds or plants- 

 It will be seen that most of these laws and regulations have 

 been called into operation by the appearance of some noxious 

 insect. All will agree that every precuation should be taken 

 to protect the producers. When, however, two neighbouring 

 States are infested in common with identical pests, it does 

 seem something of an anomaly to pass regulations and con- 

 demn each other's fruit at the port of entry, and to return 

 it without any alternative curative treatment, as was the 

 method in vogue only a few years ago. Now, in most cases, 

 sorting, fumigation, or dipping and repacking are allowed 

 to most condemned fruit, plants, and cuttings after condem- 

 nation by our inspectors. This concession is a great advan- 

 tage to trade, and to the public generally. 



Total prohibition of plants or fruit has been, at times, 

 enforced by one State against another. Take, for example, 

 the action of the New Zealand authorities against the im- 

 portation of grapes from New South Wales. It led to many 

 protests from our growers ; but any State would be wise to 

 insist upon the total prohibition of such a destructive pest as 

 Phylloxera, however slight the danger might be of introducing 

 it with grapes. 



