FEDERAL HORTTCULTT'RAL BOAhl). 607 



including the Virgin Islands, and also Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, 

 and Cuba. 



The pink bollworm was determined .as occurring from Montserrat 

 north and west, inchiding tlie British and Virgin Ishmds, and in 

 Porto Rico and 'Hnto Domingo. No infestation was found south of 

 Montserrat. Tlie fairly brief survey of Cuba did not result in the 

 detection of this pest in that ishind. It was hoped tliat the pink 

 bollworm would prove to be limited to a few of the smaller islands 

 and that it would be practicable to recommend efforts at extermina- 

 tion — efforts, in fact, which the insular authorities, British and Ameri- 

 can, either had already undertaken or were willing to undertake. 

 The determination, however, of the wide infestation of this pest in 

 Porto Rico and of its having obtained a foothold in Santo Domingo, 

 together with the cultural and vegetative conditions of these two 

 larger islands and the abundance of wild cotton growing on them, 

 made it, in the judgment of the experts of the department, inadvisa- 

 ble to recommend a general campaign of eradication. It was realized 

 that unless it was possible to eradicate the pest from these larger 

 islands it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to prevent re- 

 peated reinfestation of the smaller islands. Control in the smaller 

 islands becomes, therefore, a local matter to be administered, if this is 

 possible at a reasonable cost, b}' the islands concerned. These 

 conclusions were the outcome of a general conference held on the 

 subject by the board in Washington December 20, 1921. 



The infestation in the West Indies apparently came from an im- 

 portation of Egyptian cotton seed in 1911-12 into the island of 

 St. Croix, then under Danish control, by the director of the island 

 experiment station and the later distribution from this point of plant- 

 ing seed to other islands. 



The existing ciuarantines on account of the pink bollworm now 



f)rotect the United States from movement of cotton, cotton seed, etc., 

 rom the West Indies, including the American islands. 



MEXICAN BORDER CONTROL. 



The border control to prevent entry of the pink bollworm from 

 Mexico is a continuing work. In connection with it the enforcement 

 of various fruit and grain cjuarantines against Mexico is taken care 

 of by the department's inspectors. During the fiscal year ended June 

 30, 1922, 35,747 freight cars Avere inspected in Mexican border towns 

 for cotton seed, and of this number, 31,579 were fumigated imme- 

 diately iipon arrival in the American port of entry. At Del Rio, 

 Tex., where there are at present no railroad connections, 31.861 

 vehicles of various descriptions were examined, 69 of whicii were 

 fumigated on account of the presence of cotton seed at the time of 

 inspection. Fumigation fees amounting to $126,350.50 were collected 

 and turned into the Treasury. 



The amount of car fumigation and other work involved increased 

 very greatly during the last fiscal year, due to the improved conditions 

 in Mexico "and the corresponding increase in freight and other traffic 

 between Mexico and the United States. As a result it became 

 necessary to call upon Congress for a supplemental appropriation, and 

 $50,000 was so appropriated in connection with the urgent deficiency 

 act approved March 20, 1922. As noted, the moneys so expended 



