FEDERAL HORTICULTURAL BOARD. 521 



tion as to infestation remained unchanged until September 18, 1919, 

 when the disease was apparently definitely determined as existing in 

 Roanoke County, Va. 



As soon as the survey had been substantially completed a public 

 hearing as a basis for a domestic quarantine on account of these 

 two diseases was held at the Department of Agriculture, July 15, 

 1919. The subjects of the hearing were thoroughly discussed by a 

 large attendance of State officials, grain dealers^ and millers' asso- 

 ciations, and as a result of the information obtained which indi- 

 cated that the States concerned had ample legal powers to take the 

 necessary steps to control the diseases and to prevent the interstate 

 movement of diseased products, and that in the case of Indiana 

 such measures had already been instituted the department deemed 

 it unnecessary at that time to establish a Federal quarantine. The 

 State of Illinois very promptly thereafter instituted control measures. 



The enforcement of these control measures is being carried out 

 by these two States under the advice and with the active cooperation 

 of the Federal Horticultural Board and the Bureau of Plant In- 

 dustry of this department. Similar control action is being taken in 

 connection with the outbreak in Virginia. These measures include 

 the burning of the straw and stubble, the disinfection of the wheat 

 and of the thrashing machinery involved, and the elimination of 

 the growth of wheat in the infected areas for a period of years. It 

 is believed that by these means the spread of the diseases from these 

 States will be prevented in so far as it is possible to accomplish this 

 result by quarantine and control operations. 



In the meantime a thorough survey is being kept up throughout 

 the United States in cooperation with the State authorities for the 

 determination of any other possible footholds of these diseases. It 

 is believed that the foreign quarantine referred to at the outset will 

 prevent any further entry of these diseases into the United States. 



THE BLACK STEM RUST OF WHEAT. 



The board has actively cooperated with the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry in the campaign to secure the eradication of the common 

 barberry, with the object of controlling the black wheat stem rust. 

 The barberry has been demonstrated to be an important factor in 

 the development of serious wheat rust epidemics. The losses from 

 this disease are limited very largely to the northern wheat-producing 

 States and are unimportant in the Southern States. The object 

 wished, therefore, was to effect the extermination of the common 

 barberry in such Northern States and by quarantine prohibit its 

 movement into such States from other States. Pending the determi- 

 nation of the feasibility of such quarantine action, the board under- 

 took to effect this general purpose by an agreement to be entered 

 into by nurserymen and others interested. A circular letter describ- 

 ing the need, accompanied with a pledge card, was sent out April 4, 

 1918, and more than 2,000 nurserymen signed these pledges and thus 

 voluntarily put into effect what was substantially a complete quar- 

 antine as to the movement of the common barberry into the region 

 to be protected. The effectiveness of this voluntary quarantine 

 showed the general practicability of such control, and to give it 



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