REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST 211 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



THE DESTEUCTIVE INSECT AND PEST ACT, 1910. 



In May, 1910, Parliament passed ' An Act to prevent the introduction or 

 spreading of Insects, Pests and Diseases destructive to vegetation.' The danger of 

 the introduction of injurious insects, pests and plant diseases is probably greater in 

 Canada than in any other country. This is due to the fact that, owing to the rapid 

 development and opening up of the country, a large amount of vegetation of all kinds, 

 trees, shrubs, seedlings, etc., is imported into Canada from countries in various parts 

 of the world. All this vegetation, collectively termed ' nursery stock ' is liable to be 

 infested with insects and other pests and diseases which do not occur in Canada. 

 Introduced in this manner, however, in many instances they become established. The 

 seriousness of such an establishing of an introduced insect in a new country is enor- 

 mously increased by the fact that their means of control in their native country, 

 namely, their native parasites, are not usually brought with them. Their tendency, 

 therefore, is to increase as we see the Gipsy and Brown-tail Moths increasing in the 

 United States. It is estimated that 50 per cent of the insect pests in the United 

 States are introduced insects. In Canada a number of introduced insects have already 

 established themselves and in certain cases have resulted in great losses. The San Jose 

 Scale, originally introduced into the United States, was first recorded in Canada about 

 1894 ; the Brown-tail Moth introduced into the State of Massachusetts about 1890 from 

 Europe, was discovered in Nova Scotia in 1907; the Narcissus Fly, which would appear 

 to be a native of Europe, has been introduced into British Columbia on bulbs from 

 Holland. Numerous other instances of the introduction of injurious insects into 

 Canada and their subsequent spread might be adduced, indicating this danger to which 

 we are exposed. 



The introduction of the San Jose Scale and the previous experience of its destruc- 

 tive powers in the United States were responsible for the passage of the San Jose Scale 

 Act in 1898, which prohibited the importation of nursery stock from countries in 

 which this scale occurred. In 1901 by an Order-in-Council, fumigation stations were 

 established at six ports through which stock was allowed to enter at certain periods 

 of the year after having been fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas. Certain classes 

 of stock, not likely to be infested with San Jose Scale, were exempt from fumigation, 



Except for this power to fumigate certain classes of nursery stock at six of the 

 ports of entry, the Federal Government had no authority to take action to prevent the 

 introduction of further insect pests and the spreading of these, or of pests already in 

 Canada. In 1909, winter webs of the Brown-tail Moth were found in Canada and 

 the United States in shipments of nursery stock from France. As this insect had 

 already established itself in Nova Scotia, it was important that the Minister should 

 have the necessary powers to prevent the introduction of the pest into those parts of 

 Canada not already infested. Accordingly, the Destructive Insect and Pest Act was 

 passed, under which regulations could be issued providing for the prohibition of entry, 

 fumigation on entry or inspection subsequent to entry, of nursery stock and defining 

 other conditions under which nursery stock and other vegetation might be introduced 

 into Canada. Regulations were passed by Order-in-Council in virtue of provisions of 

 section 3 of the Act on May 1, and July 27, 1910. These regulations were rescinded 

 by regulations passed by Order-in-Council on February 27, 1911. 



The text of the Act and the regulations issued thereunder are as follows : — 



16—14* 



