FEDERAL HOETICULTURAL BOARD. 



439 



disinfection of the above-mentioned material. Card strips and other 

 grades of cotton waste resulting from and subsequent to the carding 

 machine, if covered with wrappings which conform to the require- 

 ments of the cotton regulations, and bagging which has never been 

 used to cover cotton, or American cotton bagging, commonly known 

 as coarse gunny, which has been used to cover only cotton grown in 

 the United States, may be admitted without disinfection at any port 

 at which the board maintains inspection service, including, in addi- 

 tion to the ports mentioned above, Philadelphia and New Orleans. 



In the latter part of the fiscal year 1917 the inspector of the board 

 at San Francisco discovered that articles from Japan packed with 

 a low grade of cotton waste containing seeds were being imported 

 through that port. Investigations by inspectors at other ports de- 

 veloped the fact that Japanese and Chinese bric-a-brac, chinaware, 

 crockery, etc., were frequently packed with cotton or cotton waste. 

 The Secretary of State was requested to warn Japanese and Chinese 

 exporters, through the Consular Service, to use packing other than 

 cotton or cotton waste for goods intended for the United States. 

 The board also secured the names of the American importers of such 

 merchandise in this country, and these were requested to instruct 

 their foreign exporters to discontinue the use of such packing for 

 goods consigned to this country. Arrangements have been made with 

 the Treasury Department for the notification of the board by col- 

 lectors of customs upon the entry from any country of any articles 

 for which cotton waste is used as packing. 



All permits for the importation of cotton and all licenses author- 

 izing the use of cotton, issued since July 1, 1916, are valid until re- 

 voked. In addition to the permits and licenses issued during the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, which are still effective, 501 new 

 cotton permits and 119 new cotton licenses were issued by the board 

 during the past fiscal year. 



The following table indicates the number of bales of cotton, cot- 

 ton waste, and burlap imported during the fiscal year, showing coun- 

 try of origin and port of entry : 



Cotton, cotton ivaste, and burlap imported from July 1, 1917, to June 30, 1918, 

 in running bales, shotcing country of origin and port of entry. 



