160 



Inspection of Nursery Stock and Con- 

 trol of Insect Pests and Plant 

 Diseases 



By E. M. Ehrhorn, Superintendent of Entomology. 



The rigid inspection and disinfection of nursery stock coming 

 into the Territory is the first essential of clean horticulture. This 

 has been recognized now by many countries and Hawaii was 

 luckily one of the first to establish such laws with rules and 

 regulations to enable this important work to be carried on in a 

 businesslike manner. These laws are so formed that they pro- 

 tect the individual grower from the careless and oftentimes un- 

 scrupulous dealer and the. community from the invasion of de- 

 structive pests of the field and garden. 



When shipments of packages of fruit, plants, trees, bulbs or 

 seeds arrive, either as freight or mail matter, the inspectors take 

 full charge of the same and carefully examine all these ship- 

 ments. The steamship companies hold all shipments until they 

 have been inspected and passed by the inspectors. If, upon in- 

 spection, the fruit, plants, bulbs or seeds are found to be free 

 from insect pests or plant diseases they are immediately passed 

 and the transportation company notified. If, however, the ship- 

 ment is found infested with insect pests or plant diseases not 

 found in the Territory, the shipment, box and all, is immediately 

 destroyed and the consignee is notified thereof and a certificate, 

 stating the reason for destroying the shipment, is furnished him 

 as a counter claim against the careless dealer. In case of fruit 

 or vegetable shipments in large quantities, the consignee can re- 

 turn them to the original shipper if he so desires. If any ship- 

 ment is found infested with pests already known to exist in the 

 Territory, they are disinfected in such a manner that the insects 

 or diseases are killed before the consignee can receive them. 



The methods of disinfection vary for the various kinds of 

 shipments. For all seeds, such as beans, peas, bulbs and garden 

 seeds, carbon-bisulphide ("Highlife," as it is commonly called 

 here) is used. Carbon-bisulphide is an ill-smelling liquid which 

 is highly inflammable, producing by evaporation a very heavy gas, 

 which is capable of penetrating into the tightest packing. To 

 fumigate any seeds or bulbs it is necessary to have a tight com- 

 partment. The materials are placed in this and the carbon-bisul- 

 phide is poured into a shallow dish placed on top of the material 

 to be fumigated. As the liquid evaporates the heavy gas descends 

 to the bottom of the compartment and gradually rises until it 

 covers all the material contained therein. The compartment. 



