124 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 7 



NURSERY AND ORCHARD INSPECTION WORK IN MISSOURI 



By Leonard Haseman, Columbia, Mo. 



For a number of years fruit growers and nurserymen in Missouri 

 have attempted to decide on an adequate inspection law, but for 

 various reasons, the most important of which was lack of enthusiasm 

 and overabundance of friction, nothing of importance was done. In. 

 1899 and again in 1901 inadequate bills were passed by the legislature, 

 and in 1908 and 1910 unsuccessful attempts were made to pass a better 

 law. 



With the passage of the Federal Quarantine Act, and the more strict 

 enforcement of state laws it was finally absolutely necessary that some- 

 thing be done to provide for adequate nursery inspection work. Other 

 states began to refuse to accept Missouri inspection certificates since 

 there was no state law which could compel unscrupulous nurserymen 

 to honor the certificates which they received from the inspector. 

 There was also no provision for regulating the introduction of stock 

 into the state or for inspecting such shipments as might need it. In 

 fact, Missouri was for years a national dumping ground for nursery 

 stock which could not be disposed of elsewhere. This unloading of 

 undesirable nursery stock has gone on for years, and it, together with 

 the distribution of similar home-grown stock by a few of our unscru- 

 pulous nurserymen, has provided the state with a goodly supply of all 

 nursery and orchard insects and diseases capable of maintaining theiQ- 

 selves in this climate, which includes about all of the horticultural 

 pests found in this country. Missouri is fortunate, however, in 

 having so many progressive nurserymen who are awake to the neces- 

 sity of having effective inspection, and they are very largely respon- 

 sible for the passage of the present state inspection law. 



During the fall and winter of 1912 the writer devoted considerable 

 time to a study of the nursery inspection laws and systems in the 

 various states where this work is properly handled, with a view of 

 preparing a law which would be as nearly uniform as possible with the 

 present laws of other states. The first complete draft of the law was 

 submitted to the nurserymen of the state, during the annual meeting 

 of the Western Association of Nurserymen, for their consideration. A 

 number of outside nurserymen were also called on for suggestions. 

 The only objection of any importance was as to the manner of the 

 administration of the law. The State Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion was placed in charge of the work and at first there was some 

 objection to this, but in time the nurserymen as a body united with 

 the State Board of Horticulture representing the horticultural interests 

 of the state and secured the passage of the bill. 



