634 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



all cotton and the sterilization of all broomcorn which has arrived 

 at the various ports of entry. 



The examination of ships in cooperation with customs officials for 

 contraband material which may be brought either as cargo, ships' 

 stores, crews' eifects, or passengers' baggage, constitutes an im- 

 portant part of the work of this service. The results of the past 

 two years' work have forcibly demonstrated the need and importance 

 of this work. During the year, 8,282 foreign vessels were boarded 

 and examined as follows: Baltimore, 988; Boston, 993: New 

 Orleans, 2,211; New York, 1,600; Philadelphia, 1,551; Portland, 

 273; Seattle, 389; Galveston, 277 (4 months). Contraband material 

 was found on 3,577 of the vessels boarded. 



Parcel-post inspection. — As a result of the examination of foreign 

 parcel post packages in cooperation with the customs and postal 

 officials, a number of interceptions of living insects and contraband 

 plant material were made. Many of the insects intercepted are not 

 known to be established in the United States. In view of the large 

 number of parcel-post packages constantly arriving, the possibilities 

 of introducing injurious pests are ever present; and to prevent such 

 an occurrence, the inspectors of the board are making every effort 

 to cooperate with the officials previously referred to. 



District of Colmnhia inspection. — The inspection work in the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia includes (1) the inspection of all plants and plant 

 products introduced or distributed by the Department of Agri- 

 culture, the Botanical Garden, and the propagating garden of the 

 War Department; (2) the inspection of commercial plant shipments 

 entering and leaving the District of Columbia; (3) the inspection 

 of all plants introduced under special permit in accordance with 

 regulation 14, Quarantine 37 ; mail shipments in accordance with the 

 order of March 14, 1922, relative to regulation 3, and plants intro- 

 duced under contiguous permit, regulation 15, of Quarantine 37; (4) 

 the fumigation and disinfection of all material requiring such treat- 

 ment, including cotton samples. (See also p. 15.) 



During the year 15,079 lots of plant material were carefully in- 

 spected for insects and plant diseases at the inspection house. Of 

 this number, 5,398 were fumigated. In addition, 6,064 mail ship- 

 ments of cotton samples were fumigated in accordance with the pro- 

 cedure outlined in H. B. 159, issued November 24, 1922. Many ship- 

 ments of domestic grown nursery stock arrived in the District of 

 Columbia by freight, express, and truck, and 2,660 mail shipments 

 of plants were inspected at the post office before delivery. 



Inspection of plant introduction gardens. — Continuing the practice 

 which has been in vogue for a number of j^ears, inspectors of the 

 board have conducted the inspection of the various plant introduc- 

 tion gardens maintained by the Department of Agriculture at Bell, 

 Md., Miami and Brooksville, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Chico, Calif., 

 and the field station of the office of dry land agriculture at Mandan, 

 :N. Dak._ 



Pest interceptions. — As a result of the examinations made by the 

 inspectors and collaborators of this service, 482 recognized species 

 and 204 insects, which could be placed generically only, were collected 

 kon imported plants and plant products. In many instances a given 



