102 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 7 



UNIFORM STATE INSPECTION LAWS 



By J. G. Sanders, The University of Wisconsiii, Madison 



The desirability of greater uniformity in the provisions of state laws 

 regulating the inspection and transportation of nursery stock is ap- 

 parent to everyone who is in any way connected with this important 

 line of work. Much criticism has been engendered by the widely vary- 

 ing horticultural laws and regulations of the several states and dis- 

 tricts of the United States on account of the tremendous inconvenience, 

 delay and pecuniary losses. 



The national, district and state associations of nurserymen have 

 asserted themselves forcibly in favor of state inspection laws which 

 shall be uniform in every respect possible under the varying conditions 

 and features of the nursery business in the various sections of the 

 United States. This sentiment on the part of the nurserymen is being 

 backed by a considerable fund which is to be used in the furtherance 

 of greater uniformity, and as I understand, their intention is to assist 

 by every honorable means the passage of new laws in some states, and 

 the amendment of laws in others, seeking to introduce in every legis- 

 lature, wherever possible, such a bill as will be adopted by the nursery- 

 men and inspectors in convention. 



This most important problem has been presented in a forcible way 

 to the nurserymen through several channels of publicity, and it is safe 

 to say that practically every nurseryman of importance is familiar 

 with the movement under way. 



This Association at its last annual meeting appointed a Committee 

 on Uniform Legislation with Mr. C. L. Marlatt as chairman, Mr. 

 Franklin Sherman, Jr., and the writer as members of that committee 

 to review the various state laws on inspection and to draw up a model 

 bill which should incorporate every feature of the various state laws 

 as far as is possible without distinct conflict. Mr. Marlatt pleaded 

 that he was so completely engrossed by his work as chairman of the 

 Federal Horticultural Board that he preferred to be excused and dele- 

 gated the entire proposition to the writer. Mr. Sherman pleaded a 

 lack of knowledge of the state regulations, and so many other duties 

 that he would be unable to assist on the committee. Therefore, you 

 will see the two gentlemen who were named as first and second parties 

 on the committee have felt it their privilege on account of rank to 

 delegate this problem to the third member of the committee. 



The writer has reviewed the various state horticultural inspection 

 laws and rules and regulations with much interest to find a wonderful 

 conglomeration of ideas, a remarkable mixture of various types of 

 inspection incorporated in one law, and in many laws great verbosity. 



