342 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 



Proceedings of the T\velfth Annual Meeting of the 

 American Association of Horticultural 



Inspectors 



(Continued) 



EEPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDIZATION OF PHEASEOLOGY 

 AND VALUE OF INSPECTION CERTIFICATES 



The undersigned committee begs to submit the following report : 



It has long been recognized among state inspection officials that there is a di%'er- 

 sity of wording, meaning and value of inspection certificates which is not only 

 confusing and misleading but which conflicts with the general purposes of the 

 inspector's work. In dealing with the subject assigned to this committee we must 

 first of all clearly recognize the objects in view in state nursery inspections. This 

 we believe is, beyond dispute, the restriction of the spread, the prevention of 

 unnecessary dissemination, and the extermination whenever practicable of insect 

 pests and plant diseases within the state maintaining the inspection service. In 

 the prevention of unnecessary dissemination three lines for the accomplishment 

 of good results are open. First, the management of local problems which are not 

 of direct concern to other states; second, the prevention of nursery stock grown in 

 the state being transported in interstate commerce in an infected or infested con- 

 dition; third, the inspection of every living tree or plant imported into the state 

 from another state. The last line of activity is not available to all state inspec- 

 tion officials at present. The second line is of immense importance to all states — 

 even those fortunate enough to have provisions for the inspection of all imported 

 trees and plants at destination. In order to receive the full benefits of efforts to 

 prevent diseased and insect infested nursery stock being transported interstate, 

 each insj^ection official must recognize this object as a purpose, in part, of nursery 

 inspection work in his own state. The issuance of general nursery certificates or 

 licenses with the knowledge that they will be 'or may be used as a required accom- 

 paniment of interstate shipments of nursery stock, is iu itself a virtual recognition 

 of this principle. A clear understanding by all concerned, of the phraseology and 

 of the value of inspection certificates, will, we believe, lead indirectly to an 

 improvement to a considerable extent in the condition of interstate shipments of 

 nursery stock. 



In acquiring information for the preparation of this report, a circular of cjues- 

 tions was sent out to the head inspection official in each state and forty-five replies 

 were received. The thanks of the committee are due these men for the full infor- 

 mation and for many valuable suggestions which they have submitted. 



Thirty-four state inspection officials report that they either have full authority 

 to change the present wording of their state certificates or that it can be done 

 without amendment of the existing law. Six only report legal limitations of any 

 consequence. 



Eighteen are in favor of retaining their present form of certificates only until 

 something better can be decided upon ; sixteen are unqualifiedly iu favor of retain- 

 ing the present wording; five are unqualifiedly opposed to retaining the present 

 wording of their state certificates; three favor their present form with possibly 



