REPORT OF THE INSECTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE BOARD. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Insecticide and Fungicide Board, 

 Washington, D. C, September 30, 1912. 

 Sir: We have the honor to transmit herewith the first report of 

 the Insecticide and Fungicide Board for the period ending June 

 30, 1912. 



Very respectfully, 



M. Dorset, 

 M. B. Waite, 

 A. L. Quaintance, 

 J. K. Haywood, 



Members. 

 Hon, James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Responding to a growing demand on the part of the agricultural 

 interests and manufacturers for Federal control of interstate com- 

 merce in insecticides, Paris greens, lead arsenates, and fungicides, 

 Congress, in the spring of 1910, passed a bill which, upon approval 

 by the President, April 26, 1910, became law under the title of The 

 Insecticide Act of 1910. By its provisions this law became effective 

 January 1, 1911, but no funds were appropriated for its enforcement 

 until March 6 of that year. The duty of collecting and examining 

 oflicial samples of articles coming within the meaning of the law, and 

 of certifying violations thereunder to the Department of Justice for 

 prosecution, was reposed in the Department of Agriculture. To dis- 

 charge properly the responsibility tlius resting on the department, a 

 board of four scientists, selected from the Bureaus of Animal Industry, 

 Plant Industry, Entomology, and Chemistry, was created to assist 

 the Secretary in carrying on the work. The comparatively short 



Eeriod of the fiscal year 1911 wliicli remained after an appropriation 

 ecame available was utilized in the selection of the necessary scien- 

 tific assistants, installation of equipment, and general initiation of 

 the work along all lines. As this is the first report of work done 

 in connection with the enforcement of the insecticide act, it seems 

 fitting to give a brief outline of the methods which have been em- 

 ployed in establishing an orderly arrangement for effectively enforc- 

 ing the act in so far as that duty devolves upon the Department of 

 Agriculture. 



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