336 



ing the spread of contagious diseases in orchards, gardens, among 

 fruit and fruit trees, for the prevention, treatment, cure, and extirpa- 

 tion of fruit pests, etc. 



The subject of similar reguhitions in the Eastern States has been 

 iigitated to a certain degree. Objections of greater or less weight have 

 been urged, bnt the necessity for some regulation of traffic has not 

 been given anything like its proper prominence. The ablest discussion 

 •of the question whi<;h I have seen was printed editorially in Garden 

 and Forest during the past fall. The great difficulty of establishing 

 an official quarantine on the borders of every State in the Union is 

 jiointed out, and it is shown that the legitimate outcome of any effort 

 at inspection which should aim to be thorough would probably be the 

 ultimate expenditure of a sum larger than the loss occasioned by the 

 ravages of the pests themselves. The important point that legislation 

 in individual States can be locally beneficial only when there is a strong 

 public sentiment behind it is noted, and the probability of rousing a 

 spirit of individual independence and a sentiment of retaliation on the 

 part of one community against another is i)ointed out. The final con- 

 clusion is that the main thing for the Federal and State governments to 

 do, is to give liberal support to the scientific study of injurious insects 

 and plant diseases. 



It will be found difficult to frame any legislation which will avoid the 

 objections thus urged, but should the enlightened public sentiment of 

 the horticulturists and agriculturists of any given county in the eastern 

 United States see the necessity of enforcing insecticide and fungicide 

 work, or should an emergency arise which would demand immediate 

 remedy, there exist no laws under which operations could be begun. 

 The immediate adoption by all Eastern States of a law which shall 

 declare, as does the Idaho law, that it is the duty of every agriculturist to 

 adopt and apply, from time to time, proper methods for the destruction 

 of insects; which gives the governor or ruling body of the State Board 

 of Agriculture power to appoint county commissioners upon proper 

 request, and which shall further provide that these commissioners 

 shall have the power to enforce remedial work when horticultural 

 interests are threatened through the neglect of individuals, be the 

 details what they may, should be urged by all prominent bodies of 

 horticulturists. Another necessity is the passage of a law providing 

 a i)enalty for the knowing sale of nursery stock or fruit affected by 

 injurious insects, although the necessity for such a regulation will be 

 obviated to a great degree if horticulturists will demand a written 

 guarantee of non-infestation with every invoice of nursery stock pur- 

 chased. 



In States containing ports of entry, regulations should be adopted 

 which will provide for the inspection and quarantining of infested sub- 

 stances from abroad. These regulations may be based upon the Cali- 

 fornia law. This is perhaps the crying need of the i)resent time. The 



