February, '11] marlatt: national quarantine 123 



of the plant, several months, or years, after it has been received in 

 this country. 



"So if this bill were passed without section 8, it Avould, from the 

 standpoint of this bureau, be of very little service against these dis- 

 eases." 



The objection of the nurserymen, therefore, to this section seems 

 to be unwarranted, and the more so as the other provisions of the bill 

 would empower the national authorities to destroy such infected stock 

 promptly on its arrival at destination, so that the nurserymen would 

 simply have the added expense of the original cost of the stock and of 

 transportation. It is difficult to believe that a proper appreciation of 

 the conditions will not lead importing nurserymen to abandon their 

 objection to this section. 



A misconception seems to have arisen in the minds of several of 

 these importers in regard to this section, namely, the belief on their 

 part that the power of quarantine granted by this legislation will check 

 all importations from quarantined districts. As a matter of fact, the 

 quarantine will apply merely to the particular plant or vegetable 

 product which carries the danger; in other words, a quarantine against 

 the white-pine disease would have no bearing whatever on the importa- 

 tion of fruit seedlings or ornamentals other than pine. 



With relation to the attitude of the importing nurserymen and 

 of the National Nurserymen's Association, it should be said 

 that in their conferences with entomologists, fruit growers, etc., and 

 before the House Committee on Agriculture in Washington, 

 these interests have always expressed their desire to promote 

 legislation to protect this country from new insect pests or plant dis- 

 eases which might be accidentally introduced on nurserj' stock, and 

 the objections voiced by them have been to the details of the various 

 measures presented to Congress rather than to the general principle.^ 



In conclusion, it may be added that the same permit, inspection and 

 quarantine system has Jong been the law in the case of imported live 

 stock, representing much greater values, and has worked to the entire 

 satisfaction of importers. 



NATIONAL VERSUS STATE CONTROL 



The question has arisen, and properly so, in the discussion of the 

 need of a national inspection and quarantine law relating to plants 



1 The real attitude of importing nurserymen has been uniformly to oppose and 

 hinder any remedial legislation, as shown in the reports of the committee to their 

 own association and published in The National Nurseryman. These reports indi- 

 cate very plainly that this small body of importers, represented largely by the 

 committee referred to, is opposed, first, to any legislation whatever, and, second, 

 if there must be legislation, to any w'hich in their judgment at all hampers their 

 business. 



