622 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



apparent, since 57 living larvje of the pink bollworm were found in 

 cotton seed and cotton bolls in suit cases of passengers. This in- 

 fested seed was in possession of immigrants en route to cotton fields, 

 where they were to be employed as laborers. Had these insects 

 escaped the notice of the board's inspectors, they would have doubt- 

 less Decome established in American cotton fields. The extent of 

 this tlangor may be indicated by the fact that some 15,000 laborers 

 annually migrate from Mexico to Texas and ^Vrizona for cotton pick- 

 ing. Avocados were frequently intercepted and during the month 

 of May fully 50 per cent of the avocados reported to have been grown 

 in the State of Michoacan were found to be infested with a weevil, 

 which is apparently much more injurious than the avocado weevil, 

 which was responsible for Quarantine No. 12. Incidentally it was 

 proposed by the owner of one of the interceptions to take the infested 

 avocados to California for the purpose of planting the seed in his 

 avocado grove. ^Vlthough this phase of the work was conducted 

 only about six months of the year, some 1,018 interceptions have 

 been made of contraband material, including cotton seed, seed cotton, 

 unmanufactured cotton lint, sugar cane, peaches, sweet limes, man- 

 goes, oranges, sweet potatoes, avocados, and various plants. Fre- 

 quent attempts have been made to smuggle quarantined fruits as, for 

 example, wrapping meat around avocados or inclosing them in a 

 loaf of bread. 



RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY OF MEXICAN CORN ON ACCOUNT OP THE PINK BOLLWORM. 



Mexican corn in considerable quantities began to be offered for 

 entry into the United States early in January of this year. Some of 

 this corn was known to have originated in regions infested with the 

 pink bollworm, either near the border or in the interior of Mexico, 

 and examinations indicated that such corn contained more or less 

 cotton seed as well as seeds of other crops, such as beans, coffee, 

 pumpkins, pecans, etc., indicating great carelessness in handling it, 

 probably in comiection with bins or with carts or other conveyors 

 more or less fouled with cotton seed and the other products enu- 

 merated. Inasmuch as it proved to be thoroughly impracticable 

 to inspect and free such corn from cotton seed or to disinfect it at the 

 border with the means available, it was found desirable to provide 

 by a special quarantine for suitable control of such material. 



The quarantine as subsequently issued provides for the entry of 

 Mexican corn when so ground or sterdized by heat as to eliminate 

 all risk of carriage of cotton seed or pink bollworm larvae. The 

 feasibility of sterdization already had been demonstrated and was 

 a working condition at San Francisco and Seattle with respect to 

 corn imported from the Orient, chiefly Manchuria, for local use on 

 the Pacific coast. 



Pending the issuance of this quarantine the entry of Mexican corn 

 was prohibited under authority granted by Congress to regulate the 

 entry of all products from Mexico, for the purpose of excluding 

 cotton and cotton seed. This quarantine does not apply to the 

 State of Lower California, Mexico. 



