, BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 527 



As thus amended the bill was introduced during the concluding ses- 

 sion of the last Congress and was favorably reported from the Agri- 

 cultiiral Committee of the House, but, owing to the legislative condi- 

 tions of that session of Congress, it was not possible to have it brought 

 up in regular course and given adequate discussion. Near the close 

 of the session it was brought up on the unanimous consent calendar, 

 but no opportunity was possible in the few minutes allowed for debate 

 to present the merits of the measure, and it failed to secure the nec- 

 essary two-thirds vote to pass it under suspension of the rules. 



A new measure has been drawn by the Solicitor of the Department 

 of Agriculture, in conference with the different bureaus interested 

 and with State officials representing various States most affected by 

 the import nursery trade, and has been introduced in both the Senate 

 and House of the present Congi-ess (S. 2ST0 and H. R. 12311, 62d 

 Congress, 1st session). The chief point of divergence from the bill 

 of last year is that inspection of imported nursery stock is to be left 

 to the different States instead of being undertaken by the Federal 

 Government. A complete system of notification is arranged for, 

 however, both by requiring a permit previous to importation and by 

 subsequent advices to be given by the customs officer, the broker, or 

 first receiver of the stock, and the common carrier transporting it. 

 The features of the bill relating to foreign and home quarantine re- 

 main much as before. 



The need for this legislation is just as urgent as ever. Fewer 

 brown-tail moth nests were received on imported stock during the 

 season just ended (1910-11), largely owing to the agitation in this 

 country and the more strict supervision by foreign governments, and 

 doubtless particularly to the natural fluctuation in the numbers of this 

 pest abroad. These nests are, however still coming in, some 100 

 nests having been reported as received in New York State and 2 in 

 Ohio. Reports have not been received from other States. The 

 danger from this condition is perhaps even greater than when the 

 nests are coming in more abundantly. The infrequent finding of 

 these nests will naturally lead to a laxity of examination and result 

 in an even greater risk of the passing of infested material. 



The department's connection with the work is the same as before. 

 The voluntary reports received from the customs officers and the rail- 

 road companies have been transmitted to inspection officials of the 

 several States. These reports are by no means complete, and can 

 not be complete under existing conditions. 



The inspection notices sent to this bureau by the customs officials 

 at the various ports of entry for the last fiscal year (July 1. 1910, 

 to June 30. 1911) indicate over 6,000 different shipments "and some 

 90,000 separate parcels. This, however, includes bidbs, orchids, and 

 greenhouse stock, as well as nursery stock proper. The total annual 

 value of all plant importations in recent years has been a liltie over 

 $2,000,000, and the latest customs statistics available indicate that less 

 than one-f()ui1h of this relates to nursery stock, namely, trees, shrubs, 

 and ornamentals, including seedlings. Roughly, therefore, one- 

 fourth of the total numl)er of shipments should be subject to careful 

 examination. The standard trade in greenhouse materials and bidbs 

 is subject to comparatively little risk of introducing new dangerous 

 pests. 



