THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 315 



iiTiport siu'h material from every available source in the world, and 

 that our inspection laws were made and provided with the intention 

 tliat they should be broad enough to meet any contingency of host 

 and pest that may develop in this world-wide source of origin. Such 

 people viewing the matter from their limited horizon cry out against 

 and condemn our present practice Avhen the same applies to their goods, 

 and claim exemption, but it is well to remember that exceptions always 

 lead to ever widening, never ending difficulties, and should not be 

 granted. Another factor that justities our principle of inspection at 

 point of delivery is the fact that rarely, if ever — outside our own State 

 — does this in.spection cover the ornamental trees and plants growing 

 under glass. If these critics of our inspection laws could only grasp 

 the fact that in California can be grown out of doors almost every 

 variety of })lant life in the world, excepting perhaps the lowland flora 

 of the tropics; that our State stretching its golden length along the 

 Pacific Ocean for a thousand miles through nine and one-half degrees 

 of latitude is practically a continuous series" of botanic gardens and 

 commercial orchards between Avhich the line of demarcation is indistinct, 

 often nonexistent; that horticulture is not an incident to the general 

 business of farming but the leading industry in the State, and that 

 some of the insect enemies of orchard trees which we dread the most 

 are often found on these indoor grown exempt from inspection plants 

 they ship to ils; if these exporters could clearly grasp these facts, 

 could clearly comprehend our situation, their strictures and censure of 

 our inspection laws would cease, or at least, become greatly modified. 

 But then if they could only comprehend the entire situation they Avould 

 be here with us in California, here to stay, and helping us to uphold 

 and continue for all time and against all comers this protective principle 

 of inspection at point of delivery. In tabloid form, this entire matter 

 of infested trees means simply this : When the sale is made the seller 

 gets rid of those plants and their pests forever. The buyer adopts the 

 bugs and a burden of expense as long as the trees exist. That formula 

 sliould be easy for California producers to digest, and cause them to 

 rontinue to act in consonance with the facts. 



The foregoing diagnosis of one feature of the state quarantine law 

 concerns chiefly shippers, purchasers and planters of trees from out- 

 side the state line. The next feature I desire to analyze concerns all 

 producers of agricultural and horticultural products in California, and 

 is in my opinion worthy of their full consideration. Under the pro- 

 visions of section 1 of this law all persons who bring or import into 

 this State any trees, plants or plant products must notify the nearest 

 quarantine officer of their arrival and hold the same for inspection. 

 The legislature made this act obligatory on all importei-s, and provided 

 a severe penalty for failure to comply with the same. This is only 

 a partial solution of this problem of protection. If the law provides 

 that certain material must be held for inspection, it naturally follows 

 that prompt inspection should follow such detention, otherwise the 

 intent of the law would be nullified. To provide for this inspection at 

 interior points of delivery throughout the State, authority was given 

 to the State Commissioner of Horticulture to issue commissions to the 

 County Horticultural Commissioners and by this act make of them 

 quarantine guardians, which carries with it full jurisdiction over all 



