15 



LEGISLATION. 



While differing considerabl}^ in character, the horticultural laws of 

 Oregon, Washington, and Idaho aim to prevent the introduction and 

 to control the spread of injurious insects or diseases b}^ all practicable 

 means, namel}^: Nursery stock inspection, quarantine of suspected 

 fruit, and compulsory treatment of infested orchards. 



NURSERY-STOCK INSPECTION. 



Perhaps more attention has been given to this phase of the horti- 

 cultural laws than to any other. Unquestionably the effect has been 

 to make nurserymen much more careful regarding the quality of the 

 nursery stock they ship. Without doubt, too, this inspection has to 

 some degree limited the spread of well-known insects and diseases. It 

 is very probable, indeed, that the cost of the service is more than re- 

 paid by the benefits derived. But as a means of preventing the intro- 

 duction of 'new pests, nursery -stock inspection has not succeeded. 



With the exception of a ver}' few dangerous insects and diseases, 

 among them peach yellows and plum curculio, practicall}" ever}" serious 

 orchard pest is now known to occur in the Northwest. It ma}' be, and 

 probably is, the fault of an imperfect service rather than of the 

 method, but the fact remains that the wished-for result was not 

 attained, and, of course, is not now attainable. 



QUARANTINE OF INFESTED FRUIT. 



In the enforcement of this phase of the horticultural laws, the exer- 

 cise of a certain discretion is noticeable. In few, if any, cases have 

 domestic fruits infested or injured l)y apple scab, codling moth, or 

 peach moth been quarantined. On the contrary, when infested with 

 San Jose scale, they have usually been quarantined and condemned. 

 Imported fruit, as a rule, is subjected to much stricter quarantine than 

 is domestic fruit. In numerous cases infested oranges and lemons 

 have been quarantined and the owners compelled to fumigate or destroy 

 them. The apparent object of this is not to protect orchards, as they 

 are in nowise threatened by such insects, but to discourage shippers 

 and importers from handling such infested fruit. In so far as 

 imported fruits are of the same sorts as domestic, it is certainly desir- 

 able that the quarantine laws be strictly enforced, especially as regards 

 Japanese fruits. The introduction of the apple fruit-miner through 

 that source is an object lesson that should be heeded. As was pointed 

 out in the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture for 1897 by 

 Dr. L. O. Howard, there are a number of Japanese insects which, if 

 introduced, are likely to become serious pests. 



