132 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



sprayed and late sprayed trees practically all of the leaves were attacked 

 and dropped. This resulted in a very serious loss of the peach crop. 

 Where the trees were thoroughly sprayed one week before the buds 

 swelled there was little or no loss of foliage or fruit. 



ORCHARD AND NURSERY LEGISLATION. 



In connection with the campaign for the eradication of barberries 

 some difficulty was experienced from the fact that the original law merely 

 provided for the destruction of trees and shrubs infected with a dangerous 

 disease. During the summer months it was a comparatively easy mat- 

 ter to find infected leaves upon nearly every barberry bush, but during 

 ■the winter it was not possible to find the infection, so that the period in 

 which the campaign could be carried on, except at the sufferance of the 

 owners, covered only about one-half of the year. The Federal Govern- 

 ment through the U. S. Department of Agriculture had put on a quarantine 

 against the shipment of practically all barberries and mahonias, except the 

 Japanese, into the Central Western States in which barberry eradication 

 campaigns had been carried on. The legislatures of these States in the 

 spring of 1919 passed laws forbidding the growing or sale within the respect- 

 ive States of any of the dangerous species of barberries and mahonias. 



House Enrolled Act No. 31 of the Michigan Legislature, Section 17a, 

 makes it unlawful for any person to keep upon his premises any of the 

 barberries, except Berheris Thunbergii or Berberis Japonica. 



Another provision of the same act makes it possible to take prompt 

 action in case any dangerous insect or disease not found in the State is 

 brought in from outside. Besides conferring authority to destroy trees 

 and plants which have been attacked by insects or diseases, it is now 

 possible to destroy trees and plants which may not be actually infested but 

 the destruction of which is necessary in order to eradicate the insects 

 and diseases. This provision will be especially helpful in case the gypsy 

 or brown-tail moths or the European corn borer make their appearancein 

 Michigan. 



Under this law, provided it becomes necessary to destroy trees and 

 plants which have not become infested, the owners are to be recompensed 

 for the value of the trees, plants, etc. 



INSPECTION OF MICHIGAN NURSERIES. 



The acreage of fruit nursery stock has for several years shown a con- 

 siderable decrease but there has been approximately as large an increase 

 in the acreage of small fruit plants and ornamentals, all of which have 

 been inspected. Owing to the war conditions, the importation of trees 

 and shrubs from Europe has been greatly decreased, especially in the way 

 of azaleas, rhododendrons, and other stock designed for forcing in green- 

 houses which formerly came from Belgium and Holland in very large 

 numbers. The importation of fruit stocks from France has been practically 

 as large as in previous years, and it arrived in much better condition than 

 in 1918. 



Beginning with July 1, 1919, a Federal Quarantine will prevent the im- 

 portation of trees and shrubs from foreign countries, except fruit trees 

 and rose stocks. Provision however, has been made for bringing in new 

 and rare plants for trial. The object of the quarantine is to keep out 



