174 



THE AGRICULTL r.AL NEWS. 



Jcsf. 1, 1918. 



THE ORGANIZATION OF PLANT SANI- 

 TATION IN CUBA. 



Jiu/k/ir _Xii. I of the Commission of Plant Sanitation 

 in Cuba contains orders, reports and correspondence pertaining 

 to the establi.shment and operations of the Commission, 

 ■which was constituted by presidential decree in 1916 



The relation of knowledge regarding infectious disea.ses 

 and pests of plants to Hgricultural industry affords a number 

 of administrative problems which are as yet only in course 

 of being worked out. The rapidly extending appreciation of 

 the importance of plant sanitation within a given country, 

 and of protection against plant pests and diseases from 

 •withoui, is leading in many cases to the creation of a new 

 function of governmental activity, comparable to that which 

 las long been exercised in connexion with the public health. 



From this point of view the constitution of the Cuban 

 organization is of general interest. The Decree establishing 

 the Commission is as follows. It is resolved: — 



KiKsTLv. To create in the Department of Agriculture, 

 <'ommerce, and Labour, a commission to be called the Com- 

 anission of Plant Sanitation, pertaining to the Office of 

 ^Agriculture, composed of three members, namely, J. R. 

 Johnston, Pathologist of the Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 as President; Patricio Cardin, Chief of the Department of 

 Jintomology of said Experiment Station : and Mario Sanchez, 

 Professor of the Agricultural School of Havana, in order 

 that the following may be carried out: — 



A. To study the diseases and insects that are present 

 or that may be present in the plants in whatever part of 

 the national territory. 



B. According to the studies made, to take, with the 

 approval of the Secretary of Agriculture, without other 

 requirement, the prf>phylactic measures that may be con- 

 -sidered necessary in order to combat the dise«^es, using the 

 resources that will be mentioned further on. 



C. For the organization and direction of the work 

 relative to the measure referred to in paragraph B preceding, 

 the Commission may send any of its members to any place 

 it is considered necessary, for which purpose the President 

 of the said Commission will issue the necessary transporta- 

 tion requests, a book of which will be if.^ued by the Secre- 

 tary I'f Agriculture, Commerce, and Labour, and during the 

 time that they remain away from ihe Office on <ifiiiial 

 business, they will receive a per diem allowance of five 

 dollars, which will be paid by the Secretary from the funds 

 placed at his disposal in a succeeding paragraph. 



D. The President of this Commission or othiT member 

 in his ab.sence may order the removal of machinery and 

 other materials, to whatever place is necessary in order to 

 combat the diseases that may appear in any plantation 



E. In the same way, the Commission, the member whu 

 undertakes the work of disinfection of any crop, or any of 

 the inspectors who have been appointed by the Commission 

 ■for this purpose with the proper instructions, may proceed 

 to employ labourer.s to clean or destroy infected plants, and 

 al."0 contract for whatcvci rither service is considered neces- 

 sary, (first consulting and obtaining the approbation of the 

 Secretary, which should be done in the most rapid manner,) 

 -whose wages or expenses will be paid from the funds 

 designated for this purpose, to which end the Paymaster 

 of the Itepurtrnent of Agiiculture is especially authori'/.ed 

 to facilitate the amount a^rce^l upon, the expenditure of 

 which will be accounted for by whoever receives it, in at most 

 sixty dayi", counting from the day of its receipt. 



y. When the case of infection is of such gravity that- 

 only by the destruction of the crop can the plague be extermi- 

 nated, the Commission will submit the case to the Secretary 

 of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labour, who will take such 

 measures as he considers necessary, both in accord with tlie- 

 owner of the plants and with the necessities of the case. 



G. This Commi-ssion will meet as often as it may be 

 necessary, and report to the Secretary of Agriculture at least, 

 every fifteen days as to the progress of the work, and will 

 study in its meetings, under the auspices of the Pie.sident of 

 the Commission, the problems of greatest importance. 



H. When there is necessity for laboratory work, or any 

 work related 10 that which is conducted at the Agricultural 

 Kxperimental Station, the Commissioners may request per- 

 mission from the Director of said establishment, who will 

 grant it. 



SECONDLY. The Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce^ 

 and Labour is authorized to impose fines that do not exceed 

 fifty dollars on those owners of plantings who do not fulful 

 the instructions that are given by the Commission to avoid 

 the spread of diseases and insects in the fields where they have 

 appeared, for which purpose there will be conceded the time 

 that is considered necessary. 



THIRKLV. For the expense that may be necessary for 

 the purchase of apparatus and other material, as well as for 

 the paying of wages and per diem allowances of inspectors- 

 that are appointed for this service, the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, Commerce, and Ljibour, will appropriate ten thousand 

 dollars from the funds that are credited in the current budget 

 to 'Imprevistos' which sum may be requested by the Pay- 

 master f ri im said department in the form designated by the 

 Secretary, all at once if that is agreed upon, and it will be 

 credited by the Secretary of the Treasury. 



FOi RTHLY. In accord with the statements in the last 

 paragraph of Article 394 of the Organic Law of tlie 

 P^xecutive Power, it is authorized to name three inspec- 

 tors, to whom may., be assigned the monthly salary 

 of $1.50, and when necessary an allowance per diem of 

 five dollars, to aid the Commission of Plant Sanitation, 

 constituted by this 1 )ecree, who will put themselves at the 

 immediate order of the said Commission without contUcting 

 with the superior authority of the Secretary of the Depart- 

 ment: the terms of employment of these inspectors will last 

 through the fi.scal year, if necessary. 



I'liTin.v. The Commission named will submit to 

 the Secretary of .'Vgriculture proposals concerning the 

 quarantine regulations that should be made against the 

 importation of plants, and the means that ought to be 

 employed in those cases in which they may be admitted. 



sixriiLY. Said Comnii.sslon is also authorized to issue 

 certificates for plants destined for exportation. 



suvKNTiii.^ . The Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce, 

 and Labour will see that this ! )((ree is fulfilled. 



The corresponilonee regarding foreign i|uarantine regu- 

 lations affecting Cuba gives evidence that a careful and 

 comiirehensive survey of the island ha.s shown that citrus 

 plantations are free- from canker: tlio possibility is n<«t 

 excluded that it may exist on some of the thou.sands of trees 

 scattered about in gardens, but no evidence of it has been 

 found in the inspections made. 



The diseases of plants in the island to which attention 

 is princi|)ally being given by the ( 'oniniission are the coco-nut 

 bud-rot, and the I 'an.ima disease of bananas. The adoption 

 of the recognized miftsures of rr.ntrol is compul-ovy in both 

 cases, and inspectors are detailed to see that they are 

 effectively carried out. 



