THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY. 43 



never exterminate the fruit fly or cause the raising of the quarantine 

 against Hawaiian fruits, much ultimate good is expected of them. It 

 is hoped that by lessening the abundance of the fruit fly many fruits 

 that now become badly infested before they are ripe enough to eat 

 may be able to mature uninfested to a point where they will be useful 

 to man. At present almost all edible fruits in Hawaii, and many 

 ornamentals, making a total of 72 kinds of fruit, are subject to attack. 

 Judging from the past history of the Mediterranean fruit fly, only 

 the vigilance of quarantine officials and the hearty cooperation of 

 travelers will prevent its establishment in California and the Gulf 

 States. Every barrier possible has been erected by State and Federal 

 quarantines, so that there is now fit tie danger of the pest gaining 

 entry through the medium of commercial shipments of fresh fruits. 

 But quarantine officials have found. the pest in fruit concealed by 

 tourists and in mail and express packages sent from infested countries 

 by uninformed persons, and it is by such avenues that the pest is most 

 likely to be introduced. These avenues, also, are the most difficult 

 of detection, and their closing is dependent mainly upon educa- 

 tional campaigns to convince the public of the necessity of quaran- 

 tine measures, and upon the unselfishness and personal honesty of 

 travelers. At present only bananas, pineapples, taro, coconuts, and 

 certain other vegetable products not subject to attack, are permitted 

 entry from Hawaii, and these only after the regulations of the 

 Federal Horticultural Board have been fulfilled. 



