426 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



American cotton bagging, commonly known as coarse gunny, which 

 has been used to cover only cotton grown in the United States. 



For a similar reason and on the same date the importation of 

 burlap or other fabric which has been used, or of the kinds ordinarily 

 used, for wrapping cotton was brought under restriction. All such 

 material is now imported under permit. Disinfection, as a condition 

 of entry, is required of all second-hand cotton wrappings except such 

 as have been freed from adhering cotton and disinfected abroad by 

 a process approved by this board, and American cotton bagging, com- 

 monly known as coarse gunny, which has been used to cover only 

 cotton grown in the United States. 



A new element of danger in connection with the possible introduc- 

 tion of the pink bollworm from Mexico was discovered in the fact 

 that most Mexican cotton is inadequately hooped with iron over an 

 insufficient wrapper of coarse sisal fiber netting, permitting con- 

 siderable leakage or wastage in the process of unloading and handling 

 on the docks, transporting to fumigation plants, and in storage pend- 

 ing and subsequent to fumigation. This state of affairs has been 

 brought to the attention of all Mexican shippers exporting cotton to 

 this country, and they have been advised that a continuation of the 

 system of inadequate baling may necessitate the placing of further 

 restrictions upon the importation of cotton from Mexico. 



The entry of cotton and such cotton waste and burlap as require 

 disinfection as a condition of entry is restricted to ports where 

 facilities for the disinfection of cotton are available. At the present 

 time such facilities exist at the ports of Boston, Mass. ; New York, 

 N. Y. ; Newark, N. J.; and San Francisco, Cal. Since it is mechani- 

 cally impossible for cotton seed to pass through carding machines, 

 card strips and waste resulting from and subsequent to the carding 

 machine may, if covered with wrappings which conform to the re- 

 quirements of the regulations, be admitted without disinfection at 

 any ocean port where the board maintains inspection service, includ- 

 ing, in addition to the ports mentioned above, Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 New Orleans, La. ; and Seattle, Wash. 



During the fiscal year, 944 permits for the importation of foreign 

 cotton, cotton waste, and burlap, and 390 licenses authorizing the 

 use of foreign cotton have been issued by the board. 



The following table indicates the amount of cotton and cotton 

 waste imported during the fiscal year and the amount of burlap 

 imported from January 1 to June 30, 1917: 



Cotton and hurlap imported from Jiili/ J. I'JIB. to June 30, 1917, in bales. 



