42 THE EEPORT OF THE No. 36 



tered since the passage of the Act in 1912, but has been revised under what is 

 known as Quarantine No. 37. For seven years the Board had been endeavoring 

 to prevent the entry of pests with imported nursery stock and other plants and 

 seeds by a system of foreign inspection and certification with re-inspection of 

 imported goods at destination in this country. Under this system all foreign 

 countries wishing to engage in plant traffic with the United States on a commercial 

 scale have been required to establish an adequate inspection and certification 

 service. Practically all of the important countries of the world have now estab- 

 lished such service in response to the demands of the plant quarantine act of the 

 United States. The benefit of this service, as evidenced in the character of the 

 plant shipments to this country, has been tremendous. Whereas, before these in- 

 spection and certification measures were compelled by our act, thousands of in- 

 stances of browntail moth and gipsy moth infestations occurred in a single year 

 in our plant imports, there are now comparatively few instances of these pests 

 l;eing found. Freedom from all kinds of insect pests and plant diseases has been 

 very marked as compared with the old conditions, but, after all, it is only a marked 

 improvement, not absolute freedom. These pests still come in. For example, 

 sixty-three instances of browntail and gipsy moth infestations have been discovered 

 by the inspection service in the seven years since the act went into effect, and it 

 is unfortunately not at all certain that all infestations by these insects were dis- 

 covered in re-inspection at destination in this country. Hundreds of other pests 

 have also been discovered as a result of these inspections. This' state of affairs wa:^ the 

 important reason leading to the enactment of a new nursery stock, plant and seed 

 quarantine, namely. Quarantine Order No. 37. Before this quarantine was pro- 

 mulgated the subject was given long and careful consideration. A thoroughgoing 

 investigation was inaugurated by the Board, bringing into its scope all the depart- 

 mental plant experts of its various bureaus. The matter had also been under 

 consideration for several years by state men through their organizations. Finally 

 the whole subject was discussed fully at a hearing at which the producing horti- 

 culturists and the state experts of the whole country were brought together. This 

 discussion indicated a practically unanimous support of a quarantine which had 

 been outlined and which was substantially the same in scope as Quarantine No. 37. 

 Following this hearing the matter was given further study by our experts 

 and some of these experts visited producing horticultural establishments of this 

 country to discuss the needs of this country as to plant importations. Some months 

 later a final conference was called of all the interests concerned and to this con- 

 ference was submitted a provisional draft of the quarantine. It was eight months 

 after the quarantine had been first broached that it was finally promulgated. The 

 action of the department and the Board, therefore, can certainly not be charged 

 with having been precipitant. The quarantine became effective June 1st. 1919. 

 It has aroused a wide criticism and protest, much of this protest being based on 

 misrepresentation. It has been represented, for example, that the quarantine will 

 prevent the entry into the United States of new plant creations of Europe and 

 other foreign countries and that America will be forever deprived of all such 

 additions to its horticulture and floriculture. There is no foundation for this 

 charge. The quarantine does not really prevent the importation of any plants 

 into the United Satates for which a real need can be shown. Provision is made 

 in the quarantine for the entry for introduction purposes of any new plant creations 

 of Europe or other foreign countries. Furthermore, the quarantine provides for 

 the entry of any reasonable amount of plant material not available in the United 



