PROHIBITION OF IMPORTATION OF NURSERY STOCK 



241 



exploited besides cedar and mahogany and these are 

 chiefly for local consumption. 



Cocobolo, fustic and Brazilette are three well-known 

 varieties of wood of Costa Rican origin coming into the 

 American markets. They are West Coast species, where 

 they attain best development. Cocobolo is a rosewood 

 and is botanically closely related to the true rosewood 

 (Dalbergia nigra). It is cut here in large quantities and, 

 like dye woods, has a white useless sap wood which is 

 removed in the bush. The pieces are very irregular 

 ranging from five inches up to two feet or more in 

 diameter after the sap wood is cut away. The fustic 

 and Brazilette are treated in the same manner. These 



woods are heavier than water and cannot be floated ; for 

 this reason they must be hauled to some convenient 

 point on the Gulf of Nicoya where they are loaded on 

 special punts or boats having a capacity of about 50 or 

 60 tons for transportation to Puntarenas. The building 

 of these punts is an important industry in Puntarenas. The 

 frames are made of genizero and the planking is generally 

 out of cedar or palo maria, which are woods well known 

 for their durability and comparative inmmunity to the_ 

 ravages of sea worms. Cedar, mahogany, cocobola, 

 fustic and Brazilette are the only kinds now being ex- 

 ported and the total value at port of shipment does not 

 exceed $200,000 annually. 



PROHIBITION OF IMPORTATION OF NURSERY STOCK 



A BILL to prohibit the importation of nursery stock 

 into the United States has been introduced in 

 the Senate by Senator Weeks and now awaits 

 action by the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry 

 to which it has been referred. 



A committe recently conferred with Secretary of 

 Agriculture Houston in reference to this bill and pre- 

 sented to him arguments in favor of it. 



Following this American Forestry received from 

 C. L. Marlatt, chairman of the Federal Horticultural 

 Board, a memorandum which indicates the Department 

 of Agriculture's point of view relative to further re- 

 strictions on the importation of 

 nursery stock. This memoran- 

 dum is as follows : 



"Numerous inquiries have 

 been received by the Department 

 regarding the prohibition, in 

 order to prevent the introduc- 

 tion of insect pests and plant 

 diseases, of the importation of 

 nursery stock into the United 

 States, except for experimental 

 or scientific purposes by the 

 United States Department of 

 July 1, 1918. 



"The experts of the Department have given careful 

 consideration to this matter and also to the proposal re- 

 garding the immediate exclusion of certain classes of 

 nursery stock and the exclusion of other classes after 

 the expiration of a reasonable period to permit adjust- 

 ment of the interests affected. 



As to the need of additional Federal plant quarantine 

 powers, it may be pointed out that the Federal Plant 

 Quarantine Act of 1912, as amended, gives authority to 

 enforce any prohibitions or other restrictions on the 

 importation of nursery stock or other plants and plant 

 products necessary to prevent the introduction of insect 

 pests and plant diseases. Under this Act there are now 

 in force 1 1 foreign quarantines prohibiting, and 8 orders 

 regulating, the entry of plants and plant products. This 

 Act includes not only the plants actually described as 



'"PHE Board of Directors of the Ameri- 

 -*- can Forestry Association at their 



1918, 



annual meeting on January 11, 

 passed the following resolution: 



"That the American Forestry Association 

 declares itself heartily in favor of adequate 

 legislation providing for prohibiting the im- 

 portation of nursery stock into the United 

 States in order to prevent the introduction of 

 insect pests and plant diseases." 



Agriculture, effective 



"nursery stock," but also any other class of plants or 

 plant products the entry of which it may be desirable 

 to restrict or prohibit. Furthermore, wherever the neces- 

 sity therefore arises, in order to prevent the introduction 

 of dangerous diseases or insects, the importation of whole 

 classes of plants, or those coming from specified world 

 regions can be prohibited or regulated. 



"As a result of the consideration which the experts 

 of the Department have given the matter, it appears 

 very doubtful whether the horticultural development of 

 this country has reached the point where the complete 

 exclusion of foreign nursery stock in order to prevent 

 the introduction of diseases and 

 insects could have other than 

 harmful effect. Precipitate ac- 

 tion at this time would give no 

 opportunity for readjustment to 

 those phases of the industry 

 which would be most seriously 

 affected and would greatly handi- 

 cap plant propagators of the 

 United States and work financial 

 injury to many branches of horti- 

 culture. At the present time there 

 is no available supply of stock in this country for the pro- 

 duction of many kinds of fruits and ornamentals, nor 

 is it possible now to obtain from domestic sources seeds 

 from which several of these stocks can be grown. 



"The situation, therefore, calls for constructive action. 

 Before any general program of exclusion, if such should 

 be necessary to protect this country against insects and 

 plant diseases, could be intelligently considered, more 

 information is needed concerning the importation now 

 being made, the necessity therefor, as well as the ex- 

 istence and geographical distribution of foreign plant 

 parasites likely to be introduced with such importa- 

 tions. This information is now being accumulated by the 

 branches of the Department dealing with such matters. 

 The Bureau of Plant Industry is extending its studies of 

 nursery problems to secure definite information regard- 

 ing the kinds and quantities of plant material grown 

 abroad and introduced as seeds and stocks or materials 



