48 ni'ksi-:rv ixsi'I-.itkin 



No new infestation of San jose scale wiis found this year, and 

 those found the two years previous have been completely stamped 

 out. 



The startling" part of last season's work was. of course, the find- 

 ing of white pine blister rust in two of our nurseries. Rut by 

 heroic methods on the part of the owners of these nurseries we feel 

 justified in saying it has been stamped out within the boundaries 

 of both places. 



We propose to keep all files in the clerk's room and under her 

 direction. An assistant on full time should be secured for the clerk. 



All lists of equipment held b_\- each individual man should be 

 filed with the clerk, and each man should be responsible to the clerk 

 for the proper return of same. 



The question of the use of an auto has come up often and in 

 the spring of 1915 ]\Ir. Peake purchased a car privately and charged 

 mileage to pay the rtmning expense. The last two seasons, 1915 

 and 1916, the inspection work has largely been carried on with the 

 use of this auto in making our circuits and although the cost is 

 somewhat more than railroad fare and auto livery (wdien only one 

 inspector is concerned), yet the work is so greatly facilitated that 

 it would be a step toward inefficiency to attempt to do the work 

 without an auto. Further, when two or more inspectors are work- 

 ing together it is a saving. It does not seem just. howe\'er, that 

 the inspectors should have to invest their own capital in a car on 

 the small salary paid, especially when it has been shown that the 

 mileage does not quite pay current expenses on the car. to say 

 nothing of depreciation in value, interest on the investment, fire 

 and theft risk, tires, etc. That is the reason for asking for a small 

 car, equipped to do the work, to be owned by the state. The car 

 should be light and should be eqtiipped with facilities to carry not 

 only the personal luggage of the inspectors, but also equipment for 

 a field laboratory, such as a dissecting binocular, two spencer hand 

 lens, typewriter, stationery, killing bottles, two breeding cages, etc. 



If there are two regular inspectors on this car all of the time it 

 probably can be run for about 7c a mile, which would be fully as 

 cheaj) as railroad fare and livery hire for two men and from two to 

 three times as efficient in the work of inspecting throughout the 

 state. If this car is obtained we expect to co-operate with the 

 county agents working with each for a day or two when in his 

 territory and in this way being of educational value to the farmer 

 who is urowini'" fruit of any kind. 



