266 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



Secretary Symons: I would like to ask Mr. Atwood what is his 

 manner of procedure in inspecting stock in New York. 



Mr. Atwood: The trees are overhauled, and if the stock is open 

 we* are expected to give thorough examination. The nurserymen are 

 required to bring the stock up and put it on tables where the inspectors 

 can see the whole thing. The stocks, roots and packing are examined 

 for brown-tails, and for detached portions. In taking a bundle from 

 a box it is very easy for some of the infested material to be left in the 

 packing, we burn the packing from a box wherever a brown-tail nest 

 has been found; or, in the case of the cast skins of the gypsy moth, we 

 require that the packing material and the box also be burned. 



Secretary Symons: Do you inspect the seedlings before they are 

 trimmed? 



Mr. Atwood: The nurserymen have been required to dip them in 

 miscible oil, either before or after, depending on conditions. Some of 

 our largest importers will distribute boxes among their plantations, 

 and they have to be examined there, and we have to move around 

 rapidly enough to cover the ground. The inspector insists on anything 

 that will facilitate inspection. If a large quantity of seedhngs are to be 

 handled, and the room is large enough they are spread out on tables. 

 I think your method of handling large quantities under favorable 

 conditions is most excellent, and you ought to accomplish the result of 

 letting no pest get by you. Your paper is excellent, and the method 

 suggested is good where you can do that, but suppose you go to a 

 nursery where the proprietor has eight or ten boxes in a dark cellar, 

 and the man has no place to unpack indoors, and the weather is too 

 cold to do it outside, you have to do the best you can. I think our 

 inspectors are not inclined to be easy with any one who wants to cover 

 up anything. 



Secretary Symons : I understand that a great many states inspect 

 seedlings prior to trimming. In regard to the case you mention where 

 the stock is not in a convenient place for inspection, or it is too cold to 

 inspect it outside, would it not be better to wait until the nursery- 

 man is ready to handle the seedlings, rather than make him go to the 

 trouble and expense and possibly subject the seedlings to unfavorable 

 conditions? 



Mr. Atwood: I think it is the pruning of the seedlings that has 

 kept us from the brown-tail moth. Years ago, before we had heard of 

 inspection, the hands were told that any insect should be destroyed. 



Mr. Summers: I have been forced, because of lack of funds, in 

 practically the same manner Professor Symons speaks of, to try to 

 impress on our nurserymen, chiefly the shippers, the necessity of being 

 very careful. They aire extremely anxious not to let any brown-tail 



