54 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AURIC:ULTURE. 



does not interfere with the rights of any citizen. It tends to facili- 

 tate the distribution and marketinp; of farm products, since it hastens- 

 the settlement of disputes as to their quality and condition upon 

 arrival in the market, and any shii)i)er should be permitted to take 

 advantage of it. It would be desirable, also, to amend the law so 

 that inspections may be made at points that can be conveniently 

 reached from important central markets. 



THE WAREHOUSE ACT. 



Section 15 of the warehouse act requires the inspection and grad- 

 ing of grain, flaxseed, or any other " fungible " agricultural product 

 covered by the act. Some grains, particularly corn and flaxseed, are 

 not always stored as fungible products. It is customary, in certain./ 

 parts of the countrj^, to store grain in bags, or in special compart- 

 ments or bins, which preserve its identity so that the identical grain 

 may be returned to the owner when it is taken from storage. In 

 many such cases, sampling and grading are entirely unnecessary 

 from the standpoint of the owner. He merely wishes to be assured 

 that the place of storage is suitable, that the warehouseman is reli- 

 able, that the warehouse is being operated under the disinterested 

 inspection and supervision of the Federal Government, and that he 

 is further protected against the loss of his property by the ware- 

 houseman's bond. Whether he desires to incur the expense of in- 

 spection or grading is a matter for him to determine. It seems 

 desirable, in the circumstances, to amend the act so that the grading 

 of grain stored in bags or in special bins or compartments which 

 preserve its identity will not be required unless desired by the depos- 

 itor. This amendment would not weaken the act in any way, but 

 would merely meet the expressed wishes of producers in certain sec- 

 tions of the country. In short, it would extend to the grain grower 

 the same privilege that the producer of corn, wool, or tobacco already 

 has under its terms. 



THE PLANT QUARANTINE ACT. 



The plant quarantine act of August 20, 1912, needs amendment in 

 one important particular. At present, it is difficult for employees of 

 the Federal Horticultural Board, which is responsible for the admin- 

 istration of the law under the direction of the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, to prevent the movement of infected and infested plants and 

 plant products from one State to another when they are carried in 

 private conveyances. The employees of the board, therefore, should 

 be authorized to examine vehicles and other means of transportation 

 not now covered by the terms of the act when there is good reason to ■ 

 suspect that they are being used for the movement of products in. 

 violation of the law and the regulations issued under it. 



