June, '09] journal of economic entomology 247 



one can absolutely declare that the San Jose scale does not exist some- 

 where in a nursery. Should the ]\Iinnesota inspector or his deputy at- 

 tempt to examine every nursery tree in some of our larger orchards or 

 nurseries, it would mean anywhere from a three to six weeks' sojourn 

 in one nursery. We probably pursue approximately the same plan 

 adopted by other states: a block of trees is traversed in two or three 

 directions, and the trees looked over first in a general way, and after- 

 wards more in detail. If. however, anj'^ one tree, or more trees, attract 

 attention on account of some peculiarity of appearance, those trees 

 are given most careful scrutiny. So far we have never discovered in 

 Minnesota any San Jose scale, although it has been present three years 

 in "Wisconsin, and we have known of its surviving two winters in 

 South Dakota, and experimentally we have carried it through one 

 winter in Minnesota, exposed to weather conditions. It is rather a 

 surprising fact that with all the importation into this state during the 

 past twelve years or more, we have not, in the six years of inspection, 

 yet met this scale here. We fully expect to run across it before long, 

 and the inspection for that and other reasons is becoming more rigid 

 every year. The presence of San Jose scale, of course, disqualifies, as 

 does also Crown Gall and Wooly Aphis. 



Our inspection season lasts from !May 1st to September 15th. ]Min- 

 nesota nurserymen are ahnost without exception on the most friendly 

 terms with the inspector, and many happy hours have been spent in 

 their company and at their hospitable homes. It must be said, how- 

 ever, that a great many of them look upon inspection as a humbug, 

 in a mild way, a necessary nuisance, as it were, which has to be 

 endured on account of the laws of other states into which they ship, 

 but I think that within the past year, since the danger in importing 

 foreign stock has presented itself, the sentiment in favor of careful 

 inspection is growing. In this connection it may be said that we have 

 been very much surprised at the amount of stock coming from Europe 

 into Minnesota. AVhen the alarm was first sounded this spring we 

 sent letters to nurserymen, asking for information regarding any 

 expected shipments, and were very much surprised to hear fi*om one 

 large nursery that a shipment from France was expected, and later 

 on, work in this connection having been established with Dr. Howard 

 and with the State of New York, we have been enabled to be advised 

 of, and to examine, a large amount of this stock both from Holland 

 and France, something less than a hundred boxes all told, up to the 

 date of waiting. We have found absolutely nothing in these ship- 

 ments in the shape of the Brown-tail Moth caterpillars, Gypsy Moth 

 eggs, or any other pest. 



