120 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



published in our monthly at that time, is again before that body, 

 and with a reasonable probability of its passage. There is a grow- 

 ing interest in the subject of forest preservation and reproduction, 

 which is full of hope for the great pine forests of our state. A 

 movement is making also to secure a large pine reserve at Itasca 

 lake, and the fire-warden's law is receiving attention. A bill for the 

 usual appropriation for the state forestry association is also pend- 

 ing. If jrou are interested in any of these things, which are all of 

 such importance to Minnesota, you may exercise the prerogative of 

 every American citizen and "interview" the delegation from your 

 district thereto. The true legislator wants what his constituents 

 want, if he can find this out. 



Regulation of the Introduction and Sale of Nursery 

 Stock. — The bill for this purpose, the preparation which was 

 provided for at the last annual meeting of the society, has been put 

 in shape, and was some days since introduced. We have not yet 

 seen a copy of the completed bill, but know that much pains has 

 been taken in its preparation to guard properly all the interests at 

 stake. With similar laws in reference to the San Jose scale, etc., in 

 so many of the states, there is an apparent necessity of our state 

 adopting some such legislation. Should the law in its operation 

 prove to bear injuriously in any direction, it will be an easy matter 

 at any subsequent session to secure its amendment. Canada has a 

 very drastic law on this subject which entirely excludes nursery 

 stock shipped from the United State. The fruit growers of Manitoba 

 are trying to secure a modification of it which will admit stock from 

 Minnesota. Their chances of success will be very much greater if 

 our state makes provision for the inspection of its nurseries, as the 

 proposed law does. 



The bill as drawn permits the shipment of nursery stock from 

 any state in the union or Canada, provided the nursery from which it 

 comes has been duly inspected and found apparently free from San 

 Jose scale or other injurious insects and diseases. It also requires 

 the same kind of inspection for nurseries in the state. Small fruit 

 growers who sell plants at home and do not ship, are exempted 

 from this inspection. It requires a bond of $1,000 from nurserymen 

 and dealers who solicit orders on the road, as surety that they will 

 comply with the provisions of the act, the bond to be given either 

 by private individuals or an indemnity company. It shuts no 

 nurserymen nor dealer nor any inspected nursery stock out of the 

 state, but throws such safeguards around the business as to give a 

 reasonable degree of protection to planters. The argument 

 against the measure, that in spite of inspection this dangerous 

 insect may slip in, is one that may be employed with equal force in 

 reference to the efforts to exclude small-pox or cholera. In spite of 

 the imperfectness of such inspections they are found very useful, 

 and in large measure subserve the purposes designed. We hope 

 for much good from the operations of this measure, should it be- 

 come a law. Copies of the bill can be secured later from members 

 of the le2;islature, as it will soon be in print there without doubt. 



