WHOLE VOL. APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY HOWARD 121 



become well infested and that the stock which they had sold here and 

 there and everywhere had carried the scourge. 



The announcement of these facts aroused the most intense interest 

 among fruit growers everywhere. The entomologists of the differ- 

 ent States at once l>egan investigations and experimental work. The 

 sale of nursery stock had become so great an industry during recent 

 years, and the multiplication of this scale insect is so rapid, that, with- 

 out another introduction of the scale from California, the products of 

 two introductions in the East had in six years been spread through 

 portions of almost every one of the Eastern and Middle States. Not 

 only the economic entomologists, but the agricultural and horticul- 

 tural societies, the agricultural journals and the State organizations 

 became aroused, and in the next few years the literature relating to 

 this insect became enormous. Within five years its bibliography com- 

 prised several hundred titles of permanent record and several thousand 

 articles had appeared in ephemeral publications. It had occupied the 

 attention of nearly every meeting of farmers and fruit-growers that 

 had been held in the Eastern States, from the village clubs to the great 

 State horticultural or agricultural societies. It had been the exciting 

 cause of a national convention of fruit-growers, farmers, entomolo- 

 gists, and nurserymen. It had been the subject of legislation in i6 

 States of the Union, and its suppression was the principal object of 

 two bills before Congress. Thus the entomologist had become a per- 

 son of much importance. 



But this was not all. On February 5. 1898, the Emperor of Ger- 

 many issued a decree prohibiting the admission of American fruits 

 and living plants into Germany. A day or so later a shipment of Cali- 

 fornia pears arrived at the port of Hamburg and was refused admit- 

 tance. The fact was telegraphed to American newspapers and there 

 was much excitement both in horticultural and in official circles. Gen- 

 eral interest was created by the more or less sensational articles pub- 

 lished. 



For some days there was no knowledge in this country of the word- 

 ing of the decree, and beyond the fact that it was understood that 

 the introduction of injurious insects from America was feared, no 

 reason for its promulgation could be assigned. The general impres- 

 sion seemed to be that the decree was issued at the instigation of the 

 agrarian party in Germany and that it was to be considered as a 

 retaliatory measure against the United States for certain tariff legis- 

 lation by this country. All the early articles published in the United 

 States protested vigorously against the enactment, and insisted that 

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