XX BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [PuIj. Doc. 



striicted to prepare a bill along the same line and introdnee 

 the same at this session, and that the Board urge its enact- 

 ment ui)on the Legislature. 



NuRSKKY Inspection. 



As a result of the conference of Governors, held at Boston 

 in November of 1908, a conference of those interested in the 

 enforcement of nursery inspection laws was held at this office 

 in December of that year. At that meeting a form of bill was 

 agreed upon to be introduced into the Legislatures of all the 

 New England States, to the end that there might be uni- 

 formity of laws throughout the section on this important 

 line of work. Such a bill was introduced at the session of 

 the Massachusetts Legislature of 1909, and passed sub- 

 stantially in the form in which it was presented. I am not 

 informed as to what action was taken in the other New 

 England States, but so far as Massachusetts was concerned 

 the end aimed at was achieved. Our Massachusetts law was 

 largely used as a basis for forming the proposed legislation, 

 and the changes brought about were more a matter of form 

 than substance. 



The work of the year has been carried on jiuliciously and 

 thoroughly. The work is constantly increasing, both by rea- 

 son of the large number of insect pests and their increase, 

 and by reason of the somewhat stricter interpretation and 

 enforcement of the law so far as it concerned the common 

 carriers. The State Nursery Inspector framed an excellent 

 set of regulations, as he was empowered to do under the act 

 of last winter, defining what is and what is not regarded 

 as nursery stock, and consequently liable to inspection before 

 it can lawfully be shipped by railroads and express com- 

 panies. This did away with much of the confusion pre- 

 viously existing and was of exceeding value. The Board 

 approved these regulations at the special meeting at Fitch- 

 })urg. 



If the L(>gislature should see fit to go into the matter of 

 compelling owners to clean u]) their ])ro]terty where infested 

 with the San Jose scale, as previously suggested in this re- 

 ]»ort, this work should unquestioual)ly be i)lacrd uiuhn" the 



