124 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4r 



and plant products imported from foreign countries, whether such 

 inspection and quarantine is not properly the duty of the states and 

 need not, therefore, be undertaken by the National Government. In 

 considering this question, the absolute essential to protection must 

 not be lost sight of, namely, uniform and competent inspection of all 

 imported stock in whatever state or territory it reaches its final lodg- 

 ment. If it could be predicated that each state would establish and 

 maintain a competent inspection of such stock and could always be 

 advised of its arrival, the object aimed at, namely, protection for the 

 whole country, might be secured without a national law. In point of 

 fact, the interests of the states are so dissimilar that it has been impos- 

 sible in the past to get the same efficiency in the case of the inspec- 

 tion of local nursery products, and the same condition will apply to 

 imported stock. A few states with large fruit interests have compe- 

 tent officials, and inspection and quarantine are reasonably efficient. 

 In other states, including many where the fruit interests are very con- 

 siderable, the present inspection is gravely wanting in efficiency. 



A careful examination of this subject was made last summer, and 

 the officials of 37 states reported on the status of existing inspection 

 machinery. Of these 37 states, 14 reported the service as not good, 7 

 as doubtful, 12 as generally good, and 4 as unqualifiedly good. It is 

 worthy of note, however, that of the four reporting as unqualifiedly 

 good, only one has an adequate system of inspection and control, the 

 others being among the least protected. 



Left to the states, the examination and control of imported stock 

 would fall into about the same condition as the existing inspection and 

 control of locally grown stock, as shown by the above statement. Any 

 laxity or carelessness in one state would in the end vitiate all the good 

 work of the others. 



Furthermore, a good many provisions of such law would have for- 

 eign relations, namely, the requirement for a certificate to accompany 

 the stock, and quarantining of foreign districts when such action 

 becomes necessary, and these matters could not be properly under- 

 taken by the several states. With national control, the whole work 

 could be coordinated and made uniform and the largest amount of 

 protection would undoubtedly be gained. The existing state machin- 

 ery and officials would necessarily be employed in this work where 

 available. The cost of such inspection will probably not be large, and 

 on the present basis of importations of stock of the customs value of 

 about $350,000 annually, it is believed that this inspection and pro- 

 tection can be secured at a probable annual cost of S25,000. 



