no JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [\'ol. 4 



scale ; the gypsy and brown-tail moths to regions in this country where 

 they do not now occur; and many other equall}^ dangerous insect 

 enemies of fruit trees, forest trees and farm crops known to occur 

 in foreign countries.^ 



In addition to the danger of importing these insect pests is the risk 

 of bringing in new and dangerous plant diseases. Two illustrations 

 of this danger onjy will be mentioned, but there are many others 

 equally important. First may be noted a new disease of the potato, 

 known as the "potato wart," which there is grave risk of establishing 

 in this country. This disease, once in the soil, destroys the potato 

 tuber, and prevents the culture of this staple. The disease was dis- 

 covered in Hungary in 1886, and has since spread over portions of 

 Europe and into England, where it is causing great alarm. It has 

 also established itself in Newfoundland, and it is especially from this 

 source that the danger to the United States comes. There is no 

 known remedy for the disease, and its existence in the soil practically 

 puts an end to potato culture. Its introduction into the United 

 States would result in the loss of millions of dollars annually. 



The other disease is the "white pine blister rust," which has caused 

 enormous losses in Europe, particularly to nursery stock. This disease 

 has, during the last year or two, been imported on nursery stock into a 

 good many of our states and into the Province of Ontario, Canada. 

 The greatest effort has been made to stamp it out at these points of 

 introduction, and it is hoped that this work has been successful. 

 If this disease becomes established in this country it will result in 

 enormous losses in our pine forests. 



Both of these diseases are examples of dangers which can be pre- 

 vented only by an absolute quarantining of the infested foreign dis- 

 tricts so far as importations therefrom to this country of these particu- 

 lar produats are concerned. In other words, these diseases are often 

 not discoverable by inspection, and can not be destroyed by fumiga- 

 tion. The pine disease may be present in the pine for two or three 

 years before giving any visible demonstration. The potato-tuber dis- 

 ease may be in imported tubers and similarly escape detection. 



HISTORY OF EFFORTS TO SECURE NATIONAL LEGISLATION 



The need of legislation to protect this country from the ingress of 

 foreign insect pests and plant diseases has long been felt, but nothing 

 practical has been accomplished except the local quarantine estab- 

 lished by the State of California. 



^For a discussion of some of the more, important of these, see article entitled 

 "Danger of Importing Insect Pests," by L. O. Howard, in Yearbook of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for 1897. 



