SUPPRESSION OF INSECT PESTS AND PLANT DISEASES. 23 



State law and decided to combine what might be termed international 

 quarantine and interstate quarantine in one bill. The international 

 quarantine is dealt with in the first four sections of the bill. This pro- 

 posed measure intends to give to the Secretary of Agriculture large 

 discretionary power, such as he already has in the operations of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry. The bill further provides that if a foreign 

 country will make arrangements for proper inspection of nursery stock, 

 etc., which the Secretary of Agriculture can accept, said stock may 

 enter without quarantine either at the threshold of the country or 

 between the States. The idea is to put no restriction that is not 

 absolutely necessary upon the movement of the stock, but to permit the 

 utmost freedom, so that the stock may be inspected either at the ports 

 of entry or the ports of the country from which it is shipped. We 

 find it unwise to propose a measure for quarantining fruit between the 

 States. We did provide in the bill, however, for the strict regulation 

 of nurseries not the quarantine of farms, but the quarantine of indi- 

 viduals or corporations who sell or transport nursery stock. We went so 

 far as to make it possible for the farmers to provide their own inspector 

 under the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture. But 

 the main thing is that the State shall provide and maintain inspection 

 and that the Secretary of Agriculture shall accept such. If the State 

 fails in this the Secretary of Agriculture is given large discretionary 

 power to prevent the dissemination of infested stock by interstate com- 

 merce not to touch it in the State, but to prevent it from entering 

 interstate commerce. These are the main provisions of the bill and 

 the main lines of thought which governed the committee. 



Mr. VAN DEMAN. I do not know if there is anything in it and I 

 throw it out as a suggestion, but regarding the word u fruit," might it 

 not be construed to mean not only fresh fruit, but dried fruit as well, 

 for instance, dried prunes, etc.? We might get into some complication 

 over the lack of the word fresh before fruit. 



Mr. BISSELL. It seems to me that would come within the discretion 

 of the Secretary of Agriculture. I do not think it would be miscon- 

 strued. 



Mr. BEACH. I see no reason why if we specify fruits we should not 

 also specify nuts. 



Mr. POWELL. The word fruit covers nuts. 



Mr. DANIELS. I think the word " fruit" is a very important factor in 

 the bill. What difference does it make to us whether a scale insect 

 comes over in a prune or on a plant or tree? We do not care how it 

 comes here. We do not want it to land on this coast if we can help it. 

 Commerce between States is a family affair, but when a pest comes from 

 abroad it is a matter that we have to deal with in a body. If it is dis- 

 covered that some disease or insect is imported into this country, we 

 want it stopped at once, as soon as discovered. Leave it to the discre- 

 tion of our Secretary of Agriculture. We have implicit confidence in 



