164 Twenty-Second Annual, Report of the 



the latest and best information obtainable, when the question of 

 the application of the law to the problems considered came up for 

 attention. 



Details of the different phases of our work may be seen by the 

 following discussions and statements under respective headings. 



nuesery inspection 



The inspection of nursery stock for the purpose of keeping the 

 nurseries free from San Jose scale and other insect pests, and also 

 free from deleterious plant diseases; and for the further pur- 

 pose of giving to the nurserymen certificates of inspection to at- 

 tach to their shipments, has been carried on under sections of the 

 Agricultural Law which have not been recently amended. A few 

 nurseries in some sections of the State became infested with San 

 Jose scale, due for the most part to the proximity of old orchard 

 trees that were infested. Orders were served on a large number 

 of the owners of these orchards, requiring that the trees be 

 thoroughly freed from this pest. The effect of the work has been 

 quite satisfactory. It is deemed necessary that' nursery stock, 

 when shipped out under the certificate of inspection issued by the 

 Department, be absolutely free from deleterious insect pests and 

 plant diseases. Thirty-five blocks of trees were found infested 

 to some extent with San Jose scale, and a formal notice was served 

 on the owners of the trees. It is believed that this method will 

 prove an effective way of controlling the pest. Copy of the notice 

 and circular letter follows: 



State of New York 



department of agriculture 



Albany 



1915. 



Sir: An examination of your nursery stock shows the following condition 

 to exist, viz. : 



are infested to such an extent with San Jose scale that it would be unsafe 

 to sell any of the trees following the customary inspection of former years. 

 You are therefore hereby ordered to fumigate with hydrocyanic acid gas any 

 trees taken from said block during the fall of 1915 and spring of 1916, and 

 following such fumigation they must be dipped in a solution of lime sulphur, 





