290 AGRICULTUR-\L APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



Mr. AxDERSox. There is no known method of eradicating it? 



Doctor QuAiNTANCE. No. The nature of the country in this area 

 is such that it would be impossible. It is thickly settled with small 

 properties: it is a suburban district and it can not be done. 



^Ir. Andkrsox. To wliat extent has it interfered witli the growth 

 of truck crops and other crops in that district? 



Doctor QuAiXTAXCE. It has caused a material interference with the i 

 jnowth of peaches and apples. The beetles are out on the wing as j 



peaches are ripening and as early apples are ripening; the beetles 

 collect on the fruit and spoil it for market purposes. Along with that 

 tliev defoliate the trees, and it is necessary to protect these orchards 

 bv spraying. To do this, spraying is necessary at a time when it is 

 (|uite unwise to spray, because the fruit may cany more or less of 

 ar.senic, objectionable from various standpoints. So there is an | 



awkward dilemma; if you protect the fruit from the beetle you may 

 poison it. At the same time the beetles are attacking shade trees in 

 various parts of the districl and defoliate them more or less. We are 

 working on other insecticides which will not be so objectionable, and we 

 hope we can secure one that will enable us to spray the ripening fruit 

 and not possibly interfere with its sale. 



\ 



FEDERAL AND STATE CONTRIBUTIONS. 



Mr. Andersox. And how" much are you spending on this bug 

 altogether? 



Doctor Qu.viXTAXCE. We are spending at the rate this year of 

 $100,000, S65,000 for research worK and the balance for this (juaran- 

 tine and inspection work. 



Doctor Ball. You should make clear the change in program next 

 year. 



Doctor QuAiXTANCE. We are planning to spend another year, 

 SSo.OOO on research work so that tlie entire increase of S20,000 will go 

 toward increasing that work, and maintaining the inspection service 

 at S;io,000, the same as at present. The area infested has become so 

 large that considerable additional money will be necessary to handle 

 the (|uarantine and inspection of field crops and prevent its long dis- h 

 tance spread. That item has not been asked for yet; I think you will '* 



lind a note to that effect in the Book of Estimates. We expect that the 

 states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania will support the work liber- \ 

 ally: in fact, we think that Pennsylvania will perhaps appropriate 

 as much as SoO.OOO. The entomologist and. perhaps, other oliicials 

 have committed themselves to that recommendation. 



You, probably, are not interestcnl in the dillerent plans for handling 

 this <)iicstioii of (|naiantiTU' of field crops, but bricflv one invt)lves the 

 throwing of the entire Philadelphia area open to the unrestricted 

 movement of prtxluce from the infested area. In that way we would 

 be relieved from a large amount of inspection and all we would have 

 (o look out for would be the (ranshipnient of the protluce along the 

 :<»a(ls by tnieks and now and then by rail. Another plan would be to 

 juaki' inspection of field products in the held at the source, as we have 2 

 Im'cii doing, which we figure would cost materially more. It is a ques- 

 tion of tln' relative elliciency of the two |)lans and funds available. 



Mr. AxDKU.soN. They are able to produce crops of vegetables and 

 fruits ovnn with the progress of this bug < 



Doctor QiALNTANCK. Oh, yos. 







