IRISH GARDENING 



53 



Nursery Inspection in France. 



The .Journal of the National Horticultural 

 Society of France for June, 1915, contains a 

 suniniary of the regulations made . for the in- 

 spection of plants in relation to the Rome Con- 

 vention of 1914. It is worth noting that the 

 French Government has organised a service to 

 commence to carry out a part of this inspection, 

 clearly expecting to adhere to the convention, 

 and anticipating that the convention will be 

 adopted pretty much as it stands. It is therefore 

 of particular intei'est to see in what direction it 

 is considered necessary to proceed vmder this 

 convention, the formal beginning of what, ])re- 

 svunably, would be done here if this country 

 adhered to the convention. 



The staff appointed in France includes a Chief 

 Inspector and an assistant chief inspector, both 

 of them men of wide reputation in Eiu'ope. There 

 are a number of inspectors, who inspect estab- 

 lishments engaged in ])lant ex])ort, and give certi- 

 llcates ; there are assistant inspector's and 

 " controleurs." The last are resident during the 

 export season, so that they can be continually 

 l)resent at exporting establishments and con- 

 stantly supervise the packing. 



The inspectors and assistant inspectors have 

 also to be constantly recording what pests and 

 diseases occur in their districts, and are expected 

 to be well informed as to the condition of the 

 crops as ifi;;ntls diM-nsc. so flial the occTUTence 

 of dangciiius (|isf,-isi> iii;iy In- iiiiiiKMliatcly known. 



Fees ai'c |ia>al.li' \>y t lie licensed nurst-i'vuion 

 and dealers to cover the exjjense of this service 

 of inspection. 



Duties of Exporting Firms. 



In order to get a licence, the firm applies 

 annually, |ia>ing a fee : the form of application 

 for nms(i\ 111(11 states that the ap])licantis already 

 well a((|uaintc(| with the regulations in force 

 between France and the countries the ajjplicant 

 will deal with ; that the applicant will conform 

 to the regulations that may be laid down : that 

 he will give every facility to officials ; that he 

 agrees not to inclvide in consignments from his 

 establishment plants derived from other estab- 

 lishments without having previously given ample 

 notice {these other establishments also to be 

 licensed) : that he will attach to each consignment 

 a copy of the invoice, with values, and a declara- 

 tion that the whole consignment is from licensed 

 and ins])ected cultivation. 



A similar a]»i)lication is to be made by ex])orters 

 of agricultiu'al ]iro(luce. 



The licensed lirm can then a])]>ly for inspection 

 of tlie total stock intended for export. This 

 insiiection must take place within eight days of 

 (lie application, and the lirm then gets a certifi- 

 cate of insiiection for that stock. Certificates of 

 freedom from disease are given on the above 

 inspection, if reqviired, but no certificate will be 

 given without a coi)y of the usual exporting 

 documents. If it be desired to include in a con- 

 signment any plants other than those that have 

 already been inspected, then insjiection of these 

 must also be obtained. Each consignment can 

 be insjiected se])arately if jjreferred, and if it l)e 

 possible. The exporter has to number each con- 

 signment, attaching this nmn])er to all documents. 



Tlie following are the measm-es to be taken in 

 regard to nurseries and consignments : — 



(1) Xursei'vm..n have lo lake all luvcaiit ions 



agamst pests and diseases, and to follow the 

 advice and the formula; laid down by the 

 phyto-ijathological service. 



(2) During the winter, the nests of the brown- 

 tail moth, the egg-masses of Gipsy and Lackey 

 moths must be destroyed on fruit trees and on 

 adjoining hedges. From the first of September 

 all new nests of caterpillars are to be destroyed 

 on stock destined for export in the following 

 autumn or winter. 



(3) Before lifting fruit-tree stock, the nursery- 

 man will strip all leaves and remove all nests, 

 egg-masses, &c. 



(4) Workmen who sort the plants, either in the 

 nursery or in the building, should be well ac- 

 quainted with the egg-masses, caterpillar nests, 

 etc., and make certain that none are left on. If 

 sorting is done in a building, this must be a well- 

 lighted one. 



(5) When stock of fruit or fruit trees, Roses 

 and other plants are brought in tied bundles to 

 the despatching building, if the plants measure 

 more than 5 millimetres at the crown, they are 

 not to be packed in cases until they have "been 

 untied and examined. For jjlants measxiring 

 from 1 to 5 millimetres, the workman doing the 

 jjacking separates the twigs to the point where 

 they are tied, and makes certain that no cater- 

 ])illar nests are present. This final examination 

 is to be carried out by a special workman or by 

 the workman who finally places the plants in the 

 case. 



The above regulations are not very alarming, 

 and if interpreted faii-ly liberally need not cause 

 much inconvenience. 



The regulation about inspection of all stock 

 to remove egg-masses and nests is designed to 

 comjjly with the requirements of the United 

 States, who do not propose to adhere to the con- 

 A'ention, and have their own restrictions on 

 imports : but until the coimtries that adhere 

 publish their list of scheduled diseases, no one 

 can tell what the carrying out of the above 

 inspection will mean. 



Meanwhile the French nurseryman is getting used 

 to beink licensed, to having his stock inspected, 

 to being obliged to get a certificate before exjjort- 

 ing, and the inspection and certiflcate now relate 

 only to a few pests or diseases. As each country 

 adher( s llie nuiseries will have to be inspected for 

 the (lisenses also listed by these, and the kernel 

 of the matter lies in the list of diseases each 

 coimtry will schedule. 



Nurserymen in this country will note that in 

 these regulations new stock can be obtained only 

 from other licensed nurseries — i.e., if a ]iarticula"r 

 nursery desires to obtain stock otlier than that 

 it has grown, it can do so only from otlier licensed 

 nurseries, and must give notice if this stock is 

 to be included in any consignment. 



The regulations dealing with the question of 

 exporting nurseries, and the decree autliorising 

 them, is dated February 15, 1915. — //. .1/. J.efroy. 



Notice. 



Trial of Annu.jlt. Si^nfi.owers at Wisiey. 



The trial of annual Sunflowers at Wisiey will 

 be continued in 1910. and senders of seed to the 

 jiresent trial are invited to send in their stocks 

 again (20 seeds of each variety) bv 2(lth Februarv, 

 19i(), addressed the Director, R.II.S. Gardens, 

 Wisiey. Ripley, Surrey. A sei>arate F.umu of 

 l';ntry (to he obtained from the Director) must 

 aecomp.inv <>acli \arietv sent. 



