335 



the Pacific Slope, and the well-known eastern spread of the Colorado 

 potato-beetle from the plains of the West, at first slow and accom- 

 plished only by the flight of the perfect insect, bnt afterwards carried 

 on in great jninps, assisted by the railroads, is a startling case within 

 the recollection of everyone. 



I have said enough, perhaps, to indicate the great importance of 

 this subject and the absolute necessity of the immediate and serious 

 consideration of the question of defense. The employment of state 

 entomologists or the attaching of men trained in the study of insects 

 to the staffs of the state experiment stations, is the first step. The 

 majority of the injurious insects of the regions whicli these men super- 

 vise become known to them sooner or later, and in most cases a new 

 Insect pest will be brought to their notice. It will, however, very often 

 happen, and, indeed, has happened, that a new insect will have gained 

 a foothold and will have achieved a considerable spread before the 

 fruit-growers or farmers become aware of the fact, and before entomol- 

 ogists learn of it, so that certain local measures restricting the impor- 

 tation orvsale of uninspected material which may carry injurious 

 insects are necessary. 



The greatest sufferers from imported injurious insects have, perhaps, 

 been the fruit-growers of California, and this State was naturally the 

 first to pass quarantine and inspection laws. The first efticient regu- 

 lation of this character was passed by the legislature of California in 

 the spring of 1881, and was entitled "An act to i)rotect and i)romote 

 the horticultural interests of the. State." This law has since been 

 amended and enlarged, until its present effect is eminently satisfactory. 

 Nnrsery stock, and fruit in particular, have been invariably inspected 

 with care, quarantined if found infested, submitted. to thorough fumi- 

 gation with hydrocyanic acid gas, and confiscated and destroyed 

 if this is found to be necessary. Moreover, penalties are enforced for 

 the exposing of infested fruit for sale in the markets. Cargoes arriv- 

 ing at California ports are examined, and nursery stock coming by rail 

 from the East also receives inspection. California is thus reasonably 

 well protected, but, unfortunately, there is nothing in her law which 

 prohibits the sending of infested fruit or stock to her less fortunate 

 eastern neighbors. A man will be fined if he exposes for sale in San 

 Francisco or Los Angeles a crate of California pears covered with the 

 San Jose scale, but if he boxes up his crate and sells it to a merchant 

 in Chicago or New York he will get his price, with no penalty, except, 

 let us hope, qualms of conscience. 



Following the adoi)tion of the California regulations, several of the 

 Australian colonies, New Zealand, and Cape Colony adopted restrictive 

 regulations. Later Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in this country 

 adopted similar measures, and British Columbia has, within a year, 

 revised her acts concerning the Provincial Board of Horticulture, and 

 established a series of rules and regulations for the purpose of prevent- 



