132 ^ ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



and see that tliey are in proper condition for spring sales. The in- 

 spections haA-e been made with greater care th'an ever before, and 

 the nnrsoi'vmen themselves have commended it and commented npon 

 the thoronghness with which the present force of inspectors are do- 

 ing their work. The results are gratifying to all parties concerned. 



When the nursery inspection was first undertaken, some of the 

 nurserymen were oi>posed to it for the reasim that they thought it 

 was interfering with their rights and property, and that they should 

 be permitted to sell the nursery stock grown on their own land if 

 the infestation came by means for which they were not responsible. 

 They now fully understand that to stay in the business permanently 

 and continu.e to make sales they must of necessity sell good stock 

 in good condition and satisfy customers. Thns they have become 

 enthusiastic supporters of a very rigid system of nursery inspection. 



The greatest evil threatening nursery stock in this State has 

 been infested trees or shrubbery in the vicinity of nurseries, and 

 the great danger of the San Jos^ Scale spreading readily from such 

 trees to the nursery stock. Several cases of nursery infestation by 

 such means were found by our inspectors a few years ago, and this 

 justified the mo-vement on our part to force the owners to rid their 

 trees of such dangerous pests. As a consequence, last summer we 

 gave considerable attention to inspecting trees and shrubs in the 

 vicinity of nurseries but not on the same f)remiscs, and notified the 

 owners that their property must be treated by certain means or it 

 would be our duty to treat it or destroy it in order to get rid of the 

 scale threatening the nurseries, nui'sery stock and neighbors. We 

 are much gratified to report that in every case prompt remedial ac- 

 tion was taken by the owners, and the results are very gratifying 

 to all parties concerned. Nurserymen report that they have had 

 during the past season far less infestation from scale from sur- 

 rounding premises than ever before, and we believe that by this 

 method we can reduce the San Jos^ Scale reaching nursery stock 

 and consequently extending into the orchards of this State. 



Our requirements wdiere trees are found infested in a nursery 

 are to destroy all trees that can be found attacked by San Josd 

 Scale, and fumigate all others from that nursery before they are 

 sold or shipped. There has been considerable complaint made 

 against fumigation, some persons claiming that it injured their 

 trees, but we know of a series of fumigation experiments which 

 show that three times the required dosage of one ounce of the Cya- 

 nide of Potassium to one hundred cubic feet of space resulted in no 

 injury whatever to the trees or cuttings. It is by all means best 

 to have nursery stock fumigated at the nursery before shipi>ing, 

 whether it be infested or not. The reports adverse to fumigation 

 have mostly come from persons who wished to be excused from the 

 trouble of insuring, by this method, the freedom of their trees from 

 pests. 



It is against the law to ship any nursery stock, of varieties liable 

 to be attacked by San Jos^ Scale, into this State from any other 

 state or country without certificates both of inspection and fumi- 

 gation being attached to each package, bale or bun 'lie in the ship- 

 ment. Persons who have an opportunity are invited to aid us in the 

 prosecution of the law by watching for incoming packages at rail- 

 road stations, express offices, etc., which may not bear tags certi- 

 fying both inspection and fumigation, as required by our State law. 



