242 .JOIRNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 3 



their freight offices, and the shipments cannot therefore be followed 

 np. These people hokl the papers in their office until they have sev- 

 eral, instead of forwarding them at once to us. They do not seem to 

 realize the importance of mailing these reports immediately, when 

 shipments pass through their office. 



The Secretary of Agriculture of Pennsylvania took this matter up 

 and went to the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railway Company, 

 and since then we have been notified more promptly. 



Mr. ArwooD : We have had something over two thousand reports 

 from transportation companies, and we have had very little com- 

 plaint to make in regard to delays in mailing the same. We have 

 sixty odd transportation companies with whom we are in correspon- 

 dence and we agree upon the necessity of prompt reporting, and have 

 in various ways secured the promise of their cooperation, so that the 

 thing is working out very smoothly, for all purposes. 



President Washburn.- Question Four: "Are scale marks to be 

 considered prima ^acie evidence of infestation?" 



Mr. Gillette: Until this last year we received some little stock 

 that showed signs of this scale ; now we are finding a considerable 

 number of shipments containing scale marked trees. In Colorado it is 

 a matter of keeping the insect out of the State. 



Mr. Atwood: We destroy all stock with live scale upon it, and 

 nurserymen are very willing to destroy any trees with scale marks 

 upon them, as their presence is a distinct injury to their business. 



We take that stand, because as a rule the nurseryman, as well as 

 the buyer of the stock, will refuse to buy it, if scarred. We never 

 take trees and fix them up for sale. I don't think that has ever been 

 done in the State of New York, and the niirseryman will not handle 

 trees marked with scale, and if received they are returned direct to 

 the shipper. It is necessary for our inspectors sometimes to stand 

 between the nurserymen and the fruit growers. 



We all know that trees wall show scales, whether they have been 

 treated and fumigated, or not. The nurseryman does not want to 

 arouse the suspicion of his customer, and therefore this is a proposi- 

 tion with which we have nothing to do in our department. The de- 

 partment takes the position that anything with live scales on it must 

 be destroyed. 



We have requests received from inspectors in some of the other 

 states, asking how long after a tree was fumigated, it would be in a 

 condition to be sold. How long will a scale retain its freshness and 

 color after its fumigation? 



