DANGER OF SPREAD OF GIPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 13 
Holland probably presents the cleanest bill of health in the matter 
of insect pests, and particularly of the gipsy moth and brown-tail 
moth. This country enjoys a good inspection service, and all Dutch 
nurseries are carefully inspected twice each year, so there is proba- 
bly less danger now from shipments trom Holland than from any 
other country. 
Belgium, in 1909, was in very bad condition, and the writer found 
the brown-tail moth more abundant there than he had ever seen it, 
hedge rows often being plastered with the winter nests. One such 
row the writer noted was only a few miles from the border of Hol- 
land and within easy flight of the moths to large Dutch nurseries. 
Belgium has, however, since September, 1909, established an inspec- 
tion service, applying only to nurseries exporting to America and 
limited to field examination, twice yearly, of growing stock. While 
a distinct improvement, the inspection as indicated is still inade- 
quate, as shown by much infested stock still coming to this country 
under official certificate. 
In France, in 1909, Dr. Howard found no governmental inspec- 
tion system of nurseries. The certificates attached to shipments 
of nursery stock received in this country from France were signed, 
as a rule, by men connected with agricultural schools, and probably 
in the case of most of the certificates the stock had never been seen 
by the expert. The general infestation of the stock coming from 
France to this country during the last two years made it abundantly 
plain that these certificates were absolutely valueless. 
Dr. Howard found that nursery stock for export was in many 
cases grown in the vicinity of hedges and trees infested with the 
brown-tail moth and gipsy moth and other injurious insects not yet 
introduced into the United States, and no special precautions were 
being taken by the nurserymen to prevent the infestation of export 
stock by injurious insects. The brown-tail moth nests are so char- 
acteristic and noticeable that it is only by absolute indifference on 
the part of French exporters that they are packed for shipment 
without removal. 
As a result of the agitation of 1909, the French exporters promised 
to take all possible precautions, and the French ministry of agri- 
culture promised to found a governmental inspection service. The 
Chamber of Deputies, however, failed to pass the inspection law 
proposed by the ministry of agriculture, and, as already noted, the 
condition of the ‘‘inspected material’? of 1910 was no better than 
in the previous year. 
The director of agriculture of France, however, continued to urge 
the need of a plant-inspection service for export nursery stock, and 
early in November of 1910 this department was advised, through 
the Department of State and the ambassador of France to the United 
453 
