FEDERAL HORTICULTURAL. BOARD. 621 



most of the city of Philadelphia and a considerable portion of the 

 outlying district. 



The adoption of the zoning system has made it possible with the 

 funds provided by Congress, with the support of State funds, to 

 carry out the control now provided for in these revised regulations. 

 The increase in the Japanese beetle area made it impossible to 

 carry out the old plan of inspection of all controlled products on 

 the farm or place of origin. The zoning plan of control is capable 

 of extension!- from time to time to take up further spread of the 

 beetle. No other plan seems to be feasible which would not involve 

 an expense beyond any probable appropriation by Congress or the 

 States concerned. 



The increase and spread of the Japanese beetle and the nature 

 of its depredations have demonstrated that this pest is one of the 

 most dangerous insect introductions which has ever occurred in this 

 country. It threatens enormous future losses, particularly to fruit 

 and forage crops. It is recognized that eradication is impossible, 

 and that ultimately the pest is bound to spread widely in the United 

 States. The principal means of long-distance spread of this pest 

 is in connection with the movement of various farm and truck crops 

 and fruits and florist and ornamental stock. Its natural spread by 

 flight seems to be from 5 to 10 miles per year and the object of 

 quarantine restrictions on carrying products is to restrain its spread 

 by long jumps by such agencies until means of artificial control can 

 be developed or until control is brought about by the introduction 

 and establishment of natural enemies. 



GIPSY MOTH AND BROWN-TAIL MOTH QUARANTINE. 



The quarantine on account of the gipsy moth and the brown-tail 

 moth was amended effective July 1, 1923, to cover the additions or 

 reductions of territory. 



This quarantine was again amended August 21, 1923, immediately 

 effective, to give greater security to the inspection of nursery stock 

 moving out of the quarantine district. A considerable increase of 

 infestation had been allowed to develop in some of the nurseries of 

 the district, and particularly in the case of evergreens, the inspection 

 of such stock and an attempt to remove egg masses or other stages of 

 these pests, and especially the gipsy moth, involves a risk of over- 

 looking infestation which can not be entirely obviated. Inasmuch as 

 a good deal of this increased infestation was evidently due to the 

 laxity or indifference on the part of the owners, it seemed to be de- 

 sirable to further safeguard the situation by considering the plan 

 of refusing to certify stock for movement out of the invaded districts 

 from nurseries which are palpably infested with these pests. For 

 the discussion of this proposition a conference was held with nursery- 

 men and State and other authorities and persons in interest at the 

 State House, Boston, Mass., August 17, 1923. As a result of the 

 discussion the nurserymen themselves heartily agreed to the desira- 

 bility of a regulation of this kind, realizing that their own status 

 with their clients would thereby be greatly improved. To carry out 

 this idea regulation 7 of Quarantine 45 was amended to provide that 

 whenever any nursery in the gipsy moth or brown-tail moth area 

 is reported by a State inspector to be appreciably infested with 



