TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING 109 



the law. In other words, they preferred Canada thistles and black knot 

 to trouble with their neighbors. 



The subject of state legislation against the importation or harboring of 

 insect pests reminds me of the position of a man with a family of boys of 

 various jiges. The father says, "boys do this or that," and every boy 

 will wait for his brother to respond, and the old gentleman will more than 

 likely be compelled to execute his own commands, if they are carried out 

 at all. In sections where the fruit interests are general and paramount, 

 a state law will be enforced. Elsewhere it will not. 



Having pointed out to you the dangers, what I shall say as to protection 

 will be only suggestive. It is a problem which those most interested 

 must work out for themselves, because they can do this far better than it 

 can be done for them; and whatever may be the outcome, any system that 

 they may adopt will be likely to prove more practical and ultimately 

 sucessful, than if evolved by the aid of those who do not have a direct 

 and vital interest in the matter. 



It appears to me that it is not a different code of laws in forty or fifty 

 different states that is wanted, but United States laws that shall apply 

 equally well in all of the states, and enforced by United States oflQcers — 

 men who know no such things as state lines; who have no neighbors, if 

 you please; who know no difference between the people of New York and 

 Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, or California; men who are required to pass a 

 competitive examination in whatever is required to make them compe- 

 tent to fill such a position, and besides this possess a firm but judicious 

 temperament that will enable them to fulfill their duty with promptness, 

 firmness, and moderation, wiieuever and wherever it may be necessary to 

 do so. Let one of the duties of these officers be to inspect all nursery 

 stock, trees, plants, shrubs, or seed before these are permitted to be 

 landed in this country. Then make it illegal for vessels of any descrip- 

 tion, railways, or express companies, to accept for shipment any freight 

 of this description, that does not bear with it a guarantee of its freedom 

 from insect pests; and if found otherwise by the inspector, it shall be 

 promptly destroyed. 



Now, this may at first sight appear like a harsh measure and one that 

 will work undue hardship upon innocent people. Let us see as to this. 

 A guarantee is not an assertion sworn to by all of the saints in the cal- 

 endar, but the statement that proper precautious have been taken to 

 have an object just as represented; that the owner believes it to be so, 

 and stands ready to make good anything that is otherwise. With a 

 knowledge of such regulations in this country, it will not often occur that 

 freight of this sort will be offered for shipment at foreign ports that will 

 not pass inspection on this side of either ocean, and the cases where stock 

 is condemned and destroyed will be few; so that, instead of such a law 

 working a hardship to the foreign shipper, it will really lead him to exer- 

 cise more caution in regard to what he consigns to this country, and when 

 such consignments reach their destination here, the receiver will not only 

 have the guarantee of the shipper, but this will be endorsed by the 

 government inspector. 



But suppose that a fruit pest escapes not only the attention of the for- 

 eign grower and shipper, but also the critical eye of the inspector, and 

 becomes established in some inland orchard or nurserv. When the fact 



