BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. G49 



Many of the foreign insect pests detected by such inspection are 

 ah-eady established in this country, but their discovery on these new 

 importations ilhistrates well the probability of their original entry. 

 Many others have been insect pests new to this country. Among the 

 latter are a number of scale insects from China, which, if allowed to 

 escape and to become established, might be just as destructive as the 

 notorious San Jose scale, which is also of Chinese origin. Some plants 

 from Italy brought another scale insect unknown in this country, 

 but which in Italy is a distinct pest. Walnut scions from Tientsin, 

 China, were found to contain the eggs of an insect just ready to 

 hatch. This insect is the one referred to as having been found on 

 cuttings from China last year, and, judging from our knowledge of 

 allied insects, would probably be a serious tree pest if established. 

 A new mango-seed weevil was found infesting mango seeds from 

 India, and another weevil was found infesting the seeds of the 

 avocado. Other imported mango seeds were found to be infested 

 with a new lepidopterous borer, and the common mango weevil re- 

 ferred to in last year's report was also frequently found in imported 

 mango seeds. Imported date palms from Egypt were practically 

 always infested with the two important date scales which, unfor- 

 tunately, have already gained a foothold in most of the date orchards 

 ill this country. The greatest care should be taken, however, to 

 prevent entry of these scales into new date plantations which may 

 be established. 



THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE PROPOSED PLANT-QUARANTINE LAW. 



The effort to secure an adequate plant-quarant.hie law to protect 

 this country from the entry of ncAv insect pests or plant diseases with 

 imported nursery stock or other living plant material has been re- 

 feri-ed to somewhat at length in previous annual reports. The new 

 bill referred to in the report for last year was introduced at the 

 extra session of the present Congress, but there was no opportunity 

 to advance it at that session. 



In December, 1911, this measure was carefully considered by a 

 well-attended meeting in AVashington, at which many of the States 

 were represented through their State or experiment-station ento- 

 mologists, horticultural inspectors, or other horticultural officers. 

 'J'he meeting was also attended by representatives of the nurserymen. 

 An agreement as to certain modifications of the measure was reached, 

 which resulted in the npjiroval of the measure by the nurserymen who 

 bad before opposed it on the ground that it might be prejudicial to 

 their importing interests. The bill as thus modified was introduced 

 at the present session of Congress and given a hearing before the 

 agricultural committee of the House. As a result of this hearing 

 the bill was still further modified, and these modifications were 

 accepted by nurserymen and seedsmen and approved by this depart- 

 ment and the State ofTicials concerned. The bill thus revised (H. R. 

 24119; Eept. 000) was unanimously reported from the Committee 

 on Agriculture and is now awaiting its turn for attention in the 

 ]Iouse.^ 



> Rinco fhp above wns wrllton nn net " to TORulnto tlio Importation of nnrsory stock and 

 other plants and plant products; to enable the SecrolHry of Acrlculturc to establish and 

 maintain (iiiaranliiie districts for plant diseases and Insect pests; to permit and reciilnte 

 the movement of fruits, plauls, and vegetables therefrom, and for other purposes, was 

 approved Aui^st 20, Wl'2. 



