526 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ent shipping orders have been inspected for the Bureau of Plant In- 

 dustry, and many of these lots have been fumigated. 



In the case of the importations by the Department of Agriculture, 

 this thorough inspection and fumigation is believed to safeguard 

 such material and to reduce to the minimum the likelihood of the 

 introduction of new insect pests. 



As illustrating what may be brought in by such material and 

 which in the case of private importers must often escape detection, 

 it may be noted that more than 20 different pests have been inter- 

 cepted on the importations by this department, many of these new 

 to this country and with very unpleasant possibilities. These include 

 such things as weevils infesting seeds ; grasshoppers with wild grasses ; 

 grain insects; the mango weevil; a moth reared from mango seeds; 

 scale insects; aleyrodid species (insects related to the white fly) ; a 

 peach-seed weevil from Siberia, Anthonomus dmparium, already a 

 very injurious pest in Europe, and one which if introduced into this 

 country Avill probably be even more destructive than the plum cur- 

 culio; a cecidomyiid (related to the Hessian fly) on lotus introduced 

 as a fodder plant; several scale insects; eggs of a leaf hopper in cut- 

 tings of persimmon and peach from China. The last, judging from 

 its relationship to known pests, is capable of very great destruction 

 to all sorts of orchard and ornamental trees. The eggs in this case 

 are inserted under the bark, and to the ordinary observer would pass 

 absolutely unnoticed. 



The record of importations of new pests given above is the best 

 possible argument for the passage of a national plant quarantine and 

 inspection law. 



THE NECESSITY FOR A NATIONAL QUARANTINE AND INSPECTION LAW. 



In the last two annual reports the need of a Federal law which 

 would g"ive some reasonable control over the importation of plants 

 and seeds has been urged, and the risk we are now running every yea^ 

 of bringing in new and dangerous insect pests or plant diseases with 

 such importations has been pointed out. The efforts to obtain control 

 legislation have not so far been successful, largely owing to opposi- 

 tion of the legislative committee of the National Nurserymen's Asso- 

 ciation, who were fearful that obstacles would be put on the import 

 nursery business. 



The bill which was drafted and submitted to the last Congress was 

 a compromise with the nurserymen, in which the wishes of the latter 

 were acceded to wherever possible. At their instance examination 

 was provided for at the point of destination on the premises of the 

 importer, instead of at port of entry, thus meeting the main objection 

 which the nurserymen had had to the bill. A number of other 

 changes were also made, at their instance; all the important ones, in 

 fact, except the elimination of the power of establishing foreign quar- 

 antine against particular plants to keep out diseases or insect pests 

 which could not otherwise be excluded. To state this provision indi- 

 cates its absolute necessity. It is aimed particularly at such dangers 

 as the potato-wart disease and the white-pine blister rust, which no 

 inspection or disinfection would reach, and it would seldom apply to 

 the regular import trade in seedling imrsery stock. 



