76 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



properly enforced. The codlin moth and the plum curculio and 

 other insect pests have come in and are now extremely trouble- 

 some and much care is required to hold them in check. 



State Inspection. Much has been said in favor of and against 

 State Inspection laws for the prevention and suppression of 

 insects and diseases. They have accomplished much good in 

 some sections although they have been unquestionably used at 

 times to restrict trade between the states. One of the great- 

 est things that they have accomplished has been to cause peo- 

 ple to think about insect pests and diseases and to impress upon 

 them the importance of subduing them. 



Laws for the suppression of noxious insects and diseases 

 vary much in the different states but there is a tendency today 

 for all the states to bring their laws to the same standard. 

 These laws generally provide for the appointment of a state 

 entomologist who is required to inspect all nurseries in his 

 state and to furnish a suitable certificate if he finds them worthy. 

 There is also a rule providing that no nursery stock shall be 

 shipped from one state to another without a copy of this, or a 

 similar certificate, being attached to the parcel containing it 

 and that badly infested nurseries and orchards must be prop- 

 erly treated. Suitable penalties are provided for those avoid- 

 ing the provisions of the law. In a few of the states and Canada 

 the law requires that all nursery stock must be fumigated at 

 the destination before its delivery to consignee. It would be 

 hard to say now just what is a fair law for all concerned, and it 

 ought perhaps to vary in different sections of the country ac- 

 cording to crops and climate. A national law is needed to 

 regulate interstate commerce in nursery stock, fruit and other 

 products that might carry noxious insects and diseases from 

 one state to another. The intelligent fruit grower should be 

 familiar with the life habits of the insects in which he is most 

 interested and should not work blindly by "Rule of Thumb." 



Insects. Noxious insects are held in check in various ways 

 and from this standpoint we conveniently class them in groups: 



Chewing insects. Examples of these are grasshoppers, cat- 

 erpillars, beetles and their grubs, etc. These are quite easily 

 reached by arsenical and other poisons which may be placed 



