The Bulletin. 49 



be kept reasonably free, at least, in order to get a certificate entitling 

 him to do business. It frequently happens that an entire field or block 

 of nursery stock is found to be so generally infested that the whole lot 

 has to be condemned and destroyed before the nursery can receive a cer- 

 tificate to do business. Sometimes the entire nursery becomes so badly 

 infested, through accident, carelessness or mismanagement, that it is 

 not certified at all under any circumstances, and the nurseryman suffers 

 a complete loss. But when a man is conducting an honest nursery busi- 

 ness, is exercising every possible precaution, and is really doing a good 

 work for the fruit-growing industry, then we do not believe it to be fair 

 to him, or needful for the public good, to put him out of business by 

 withholding his certificate when a very, very small proportion of his 

 trees have the San Jose Scale. It is a pest which each individual pur- 

 chaser of fruit trees should watch for, and if he will use the precautions 

 here suggested he will greatly reduce the chances of getting the Scale 

 from the nursery. Of course, it might later spread in from neighboring 

 orchards or trees. 



Shipments Not Accompanied by Certificate. —if stock is sent to 



any person in this State which does not have a certificate attached, it is 

 in violation of law, and the purchaser should at once notify the En- 

 tomologist at Raleigh, and tell him the name and address of the nursery 

 from which the shipment was received. But before you take this step 

 he sure that there is no certificate. It is usually plainly attached on 

 the outside of the package, bundle or box, and is a card or shipping tag 

 bearing the wording of the certificate. If there is no certificate, the 

 trees should be simply bedded in, and not set out until the Entomolo- 

 gist is heard from. Uncertified stock is more likely to be infested than 

 certified stock. Sometimes, a duly certified nursery fails to attach the 

 certificate through oversight, but if the trees are from a nursery which 

 does not have a certificate and which is carrying on an illegal business, 

 then the trees should not be planted in any case, as they are very likely 

 to be infested, or there may be something doubtful or dishonorable in 

 the dealings of the concern. We think this should make it clear that 

 it is the duty of every purchaser to see that no uncertified stock is sent 

 him. 



See that the Certificate is Valid. -Every certificate bears a state- 

 ment showing at what time it becomes invalid or useless. See that the 

 certificate on your stock is good at the time the stock is delivered to you. 



Demand that Stock be Fumigated. -All the nurseries in this State 



are required by law to fumigate all stock of certain kinds that they send 

 out. The fumigation is done with a very poisonous gas (hydrocyanic 

 acid gas) and is required on all stock of apple, apricot, cherry, peach, 

 pear, plum, and quince, as they are the kinds most likely to be infested 

 with San Jose Scale. This is required of all nurseries in the State, 

 whether or not the Scale has ever been found in them. Some States 

 besides North Carolina have a similar law, but some others do not. 

 When pure chemicals are used, and the box or room used is air-tight, 

 the fumigation is very effective against scale, it being only in excep- 

 tional cases that any will escape destruction. It is the part of wisdom, 



