490 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



Immediately upon the issuance of this quarantine order the trans- 

 continental railway companies promptly complied with its requirements 

 and are daily continuing to so do. In the Oakland and San Francisco 

 yards often as many as 200 cars a month are cleaned by these companies 

 and inspected and passed as free from cotton seed by the State horti- 

 cultural quarantine officers. The first attempts of the railroad men to 

 comply with the quarantine regulations in this matter, while very 

 thorough were quite expensive — costing for the operation amounts 

 ranging from $5 to $20 per car. Naturally w^hen these items of cost 

 in due time reached the proper authorities a conference was called to 

 consider better ways and means. 



At this conference Mr. W. R. Scott, vice-president and general 

 manager of the Southern Pacific Company, assured us that he clearly 

 comprehended the necessity of our action in this matter — was in full 

 sympathy with the ultimate purpose of its object, and that his chief 

 desire was to obtain the same results more economically if possible. 

 This discussion led to a suggestion of some experiments in co-operation 

 with the yard officials and the quarantine officers stationed at Oakland. 

 After a careful study of the methods formerly employed and the situa- 

 tion in general, the author of this article suggested live steam as_ a 

 fumigant. Given steam as a factor in the problem all details of its 

 practical application for this purpose were immediately clear to the 

 railroad men. These details have been worked out, steam has been 

 employed for this purpose and as the ultimate outcome of this simple 

 suggestion State Quarantine Guardian D. P. T. Macdonald, who has 

 active charge of this work, reports the following results accomplished : 



Every point of lodgment, every interstice in the car searched out by 

 the pressure of the steam ; all cotton seed cooked until the same is soft, 

 consequently all insect life destroyed — practically complete disinfec- 

 tion — and the cost of the operation reduced from approximately $15 

 to $1 per car. 



With years of practical experience as a horticultural cpiarantine 

 officer upon which to reflect, I feel impelled to sum up the foregoing 

 statements with the following conclusions : 



In the matter of applying horticultural quarantine regulations I have 

 invariably found the common carriers quick to grasp the significance 

 of the same in relation to their own best interests and prompt to comply 

 with the regulations as ordered. If — and I state this advisedly — 

 individual crop producers would more generally adopt and strictly 

 follow this same policy of self-protection the position as quarantine 

 officer might soon become a sinecure. 



