310 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



interests, it would seem that legislation to compel them to 

 clear their places from the scale, should any occur, would be 

 unnecessary. 



There is, however, another side to the case. Several years 

 may be required to teach an unscrupulous dealer the old 

 lesson of the value of honesty in business dealings, and in 

 the mean time he may have been sending the scale broadcast 

 throughout the State, working incalculable injury to hundreds 

 of orchardists and property owners. Again, there may be 

 nurserymen with no reputation to lose, who depend for their 

 income upon sales to tree peddlers and to new customers, 

 and who will not hesitate to unload in the market any in- 

 fested stock they may possess. In either case, a law to 

 provide means for the detection and punishment of such 

 offences would work a benefit alike to the public and repu- 

 table nurserymen. Another contingency should also be con- 

 sidered. A careless or malicious property owner might allow 

 badly infested trees to stand on an estate adjoining a nursery 

 or an orchard. No matter how carefully and thoroughly the 

 nurseryman or orchardist might labor to maintain the freedom 

 of his trees from the scale, such a result would be almost an 

 impossibility until the original source of infestation had been 

 stamped out. 



The issuing of certificates to nurserymen whose stock is 

 found to be free from the scale as yet has not been authorized 

 by law in this State. Since nurserymen are the ones who 

 will benefit most by legislation against the San Jose scale, 

 the matter of securing such legislation is one in which they 

 may properly take the initiative. 



Suggestions to Nurserymen. 

 In order to hold the trade of his patrons, a nurseryman 

 must list a wide range of trees and shrubs, many of which 

 cannot be grown in his locality, and for which he must 

 depend upon other dealers. Remarkable as it may seem to 

 those not familiar with the facts, our Massachusetts nursery- 

 men are unable to raise apple trees in competition with those 

 grown in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other States, 

 where climatic and soil conditions are more favorable to the 

 rapid growth of the young trees. Yet in the matter of ever- 



