70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



brown-tail moths was made, and certificates were issued, know- 

 ing that the Federal inspectors would during their plant-by- 

 plant inspection eliminate these insects. 



This plan worked out well for two seasons, but last spring 

 the inspection service found that the legality of giving certif- 

 icates that the nurseries were "apparently free from dangerous 

 insect pests or fungous diseases" was being questioned. The 

 matter was at once referred to the Attorney-General, who 

 ruled that certificates stating that nurseries were "apparently 

 free" when the gypsy or brown-tail moths were present could 

 not be issued, even though the Federal inspection made sure 

 that none of these pests should be sent out on stock. 



This decision meant an entire rearrangement of the inspec- 

 tion procedure as hitherto conducted, and after a careful study 

 of the situation only one solution of the problem seemed to be 

 practicable. This was to inspect for everything except the two 

 insects concerned, as before, and to make a special inspection 

 for these as soon as this could be successfully done in the fall. 

 If at this later inspection a nursery proved to be free from 

 pests, the certificate would then be issued. 



This solved the inspection problem, but not how the nursery- 

 men could ship stock during the fall, before the second inspec- 

 tion. This difficulty was met by applying the power the in- 

 spectors have always had to issue permits for the shipment of 

 single packages of stock found free. As the early inspection 

 takes care of all pests and diseases except the gypsy and brown- 

 tail moths, and as the Federal inspectors have as their sole 

 duty the discovery of these and their removal from all stock 

 shipped, the appointment of these inspectors as State inspectors 

 also has given them the right to attach State permits to the 

 shipments, so that the nurserymen can carry on their fall trade 

 as before. Nurseries where no Federal inspector is stationed 

 are taken care of in the same way by the State inspectors. 



In practice, then, the plan works as follows: all nurseries 

 are inspected before the fall shipping season begins for all pests 

 and diseases except the gypsy and brown-tail moths, but where 

 these last pests are found no certificate is issued. After being 

 dug, stock sold from such a nursery is inspected by a Federal 

 State inspector for these two pests, and if free is shipped under 



