FEDERAL HORTICULTUEAL. BOARD. 629 



tions and the cause of considerable losses. Many instances of such 

 injury were presented. On the other hand, it was brought out that 

 this injury was often due to careless methods of washing and also 

 to harmful methods of packing and shipping. It was shown that 

 such washing had been done by some exporters without any injury 

 whatever to classes of plants which were supposed to be most sus- 

 ceptible to such injury. Nevertheless, the importers were convinced 

 that it would be more practicable to permit the removal of earth by 

 shaking or other means where such removal could be thus effectively 

 accomplished. As a result of this discussion the board agreed to 

 modify that portion of regulation 7 of Quarantine 37 which relates 

 to freedom from sand, soil, and earth as follows : 



All nursery stock and other plants and seeds offered for import must be 

 free from sand, soil, or earth, and all plant roots, rhizomes, tubers, etc., must be 

 freed by washing or other means from such sand, soil, or earth, and must be 

 so certified by the duly authorized inspector of the country of origin. 



PERSONAL LIABILITY AGREEMENT REPLACES BOND. 



At a conference held with a committee representing the orchid 

 collectors and growers, the one important suggestion made by the 

 chairman of this committee was that a liability agreement would 

 probably serve the purpose of the bond which has hitherto been 

 required in connection with all permits issued under regulation 14 

 of Quarantine 37. This suggestion was taken up with the Solicitor 

 of the department and the board was advised that a properly worded 

 liability agreement would give essentially the same protection which 

 the bond was designed to afford. The liability agreement was ac- 

 cordingly drafted by the solicitor and has replaced the bond in 

 connection with special permits. The liability agreement is a per- 

 sonal agreement, ctul}'' witnessed, and eliminates the expense formerly 

 connected with the bonding system. (For record of importations of 

 nurserv stock, plants, and seeds under this quarantine, see pp. 22-25 

 and Tables 1-6.) 



COTTON AND COTTON PRODUCTS QUARANTINES. 



On February 24, 1923, the rules and regulations governing the 

 importation of cotton into the United States were revised. Under 

 that revision added safeguards were placed on the disinfection of im- 

 ported cotton and all restrictions on its subsequent distribution and 

 use were lifted. Automatically all licenses previously issued for the 

 handling and use of foreign cotton were canceled. This releases 

 from all restrictions as to the use of foreign cotton hundreds of 

 spinning and other cotton mills and other establishments. 



In response to numerous requests from cotton importers, the 

 board requested the Post Office Department to open the ihails for the 

 importation of cotton and cotton waste samples when sent by parcel 

 post addressed to the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Federal Horticultural Board, either at Washington, D. C, or Ferry 

 Building, San Francisco, Calif., with the name and address of the 

 ultimate consignee indicated in the lower left-hand corner. This 

 request was complied with in a Post Office order under date of 

 November 18, 1922. As a result of this order, 6,064 mail packages 

 were received for inspection, disinfection, and redistribution in 

 Washington, and 100 packages at the board's office in San Francisco. 



