251 



the Standard Oil Company, to whom the "Atlas" belongs, that 

 the ship would have to discharge her ballast outside the harbor 

 into the ocean. The captain was afraid that his ship would 

 "turn turtle" when the ballast was removed. We advised that 

 sufficient sugar be taken on board to stiffen her as that will form 

 part of her cargo on her voyage to the mainland. The ship was 

 towed out and discharged her cargo at an expense of six hun- 

 dred and forty-five ($645.00) dollars. The time occupied in 

 the work was seven days. 



ALLOWABLE BALLAST. 



This Territory has suffered enough loss from insect pests and 

 plant diseases in the past without taking such risks of adding 

 other species to the list. There is no restriction to sand or rock 

 ballast. Covert hints and threats have been freely circulated 

 along the water front that the Standard Oil Company would com- 

 mence legal proceedings against the Territory to recover sup- 

 posed damages. The passage of a law holding parties liable for 

 damages that occur from introduced pests or diseases into a sec- 

 tion would have a wholesome effect upon some importers that 

 labor under the belief that the United States is a free country and 

 they can do as they please. 



FEDERAL PROTECTION. 



Tlie Federal Government passes laws against the possible in- 

 troduction of plague, cholera, yellow fever and other diseases ; 

 and the States and Territories are left to protect themselves 

 against the possible introduction of pests or diseases that have 

 caused losses of millions of dollars to the products of their s6ils, 

 vide "Gipsy moth" in Massachusetss, "Cotton boll weevil" in the 

 South, and the "San Jose scale" that was introduced into Cali- 

 fornia and is now spread over the States and into Canada, be- 

 sides scores of other pests that have been introduced into the 

 country. 



IMPORTS FROM CUBA. 



On July i8th the S. S. "Sierra" arrived from San Francisco 

 having on board two (2) boxes of plants from Cuba. Some small 

 seedling palm trees showed traces of that disgusting introduced 

 pest {Pseudococcus nipae) of the avocado pear tree, guava and 



