268 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



Though this consignment was fully covered with the necessary tags 

 and certificates, yet it was so badly infested that the infestation was in 

 evidence by merely glancing at the shipment. This occurred some 

 years ago. Minor cases are coming to our attention from time to 

 time. It is especially discouraging when these shipments are sent 

 into sections of the state where considerable effort has been put forth 

 to eradicate scale. 



In South Carolina we have worked hard to eradicate scale from the 

 state and in several instances we have confiscated or returned ship- 

 ments found at railroad stations. These shipments were properly 

 covered with tags and certificates, but these were certainly no protec- 

 tion to us. It is merely a question as to how frequently such consign- 

 ments are shipped, — not only into South Carolina, but into other states 

 as well, but which are never seen until the trees have been planted. 

 Of course in a state where a large inspection force is active the number 

 of chances for such stock to reach destination are reduced, but a 

 number of states have not an inspection force sufficiently strong to 

 keep close enough vigilance throughout the state. 



Our inspection laws have no value in protecting us against our 

 reliable nurserymen. We need no such protection. They will ship 

 to us nothing but clean and sound stock. It is easy to see for whom 

 these laws are made. Do they serve that purpose sufficiently well? 



The writer, with the view of overcoming this difficulty, has for some 

 time advocated the establishment of receiving stations for nursery 

 stock within this state. Such stations may be located in convenient 

 sections and a law passed that all stock coming into the state be shipped . 

 to one or another of these stations where the inspector has an oppor- 

 tunity to inspect the same. At any rate the inspection office would 

 then have a method by which stock coming into this state could be 

 checked and recorded. 



Under what conditions would such stations be constitutional and 

 would they be practical? The first is a question to be answered by 

 the courts. The writer believes that under certain condit ons as those 

 described below that such stations could be economically and efRciently 

 operated. Take South Carolina for example. The main office is at 

 Clemson College in the northwestern part of the state. One entomo- 

 logical field laboratory is located at Marion in the eastern part of the 

 state, another laboratory operating part of the time near Charleston 

 in the southern part of the state. While, the second field laboratory is 

 not permanent, it is hoped to make it so. We would then have three 

 convenient locations for such stations. 



The amount of nursery stock shipped into South Carolina is not 

 overwhelming and with the present amount of interstate trade, it 



