A)JL Importations Involve Risk. . 



The quarantine recognizes the faot that any importation of plants is 

 attended with a risk of bringing in new enemies. Same of the worst pests have 

 come in with very insignifioant importations. A single trivial importation of 

 Japanese iris brought in the Japanese beetle; a few Japanese flowering cherry 

 trees introduced the Oriental fruit worm; the San Jose scale was brought in, in 

 like manner, with a small importation of Chinese flowering peaches; a very un- 

 necessary importation from Holland of blue spruce—a native American tree— estab- 

 lished the gipsy moth widely in New Jersey; the brown-tail moth was introduced 

 through an importation of roses probably from Holland or. France; and an importation 



of seedlings of the American- white pine, propagated in Germany, introduced the 

 pine blister rust which now threatens to wipe out our white pine forests. The 

 chestnut blight, similarly introduced with a trivial importation of Oriental chest- 

 nut trees, very possibly to complete some collection of the chestnuts of the worlds 

 bids fair to rapidly exterminate the native American chestnut which has hitherto 

 constituted a very considerable element of the forests of the eastern half of the 

 United States. 



To illustrate the rapidity with which such plant enemies were coming into 

 the United States, it may be noted that during the period of four years (1909- 

 1912) which it took,' on account of opposition, to secure this legislation, the 

 following pests of major. importance secured entry and became established,' namely; 

 the Oriental fruit worm, Japanese beetle, citrus canker, potato wart, and Euro- 

 pean corn borer. 



Ho important pest is known to have become established in the United States 

 since the passage of the Act. 



Provisions for, Plant Importations. 



Circular Letters 10.5 and 145, which are available here and which probably 

 most of you have seen, point. out the provisions for unrestricted entry of certain 

 classes of seeds and plant products under Regulation 2 of the quarantine, of un- 

 limited entry as to quantity or importer of certain other classes of plants under 

 Regulation 3, and' of entry restricted only to the necessities of introduction, 

 propagation, or experimental or scientific needs of all other classes of plants 

 under Regulation 14; in other words, provision for the entry of any necessary or 

 useful plant whatsoever in quantities sufficient to- meet any reasonable need. 



Under Regulation 14, therefore, any unavailable plant may be imported in 

 any quantity which is reasonable' for the establishment of reproduction pi ax tines 

 on any legitimate commercial scale or for entry of any new varieties or for any 

 plants which may be necessary for experimental or scientific purposes. Except as 

 to introductions for technical purposes, it is anticipated that the plants intro- 

 duced will be multiplied and increased so that ultimately further introductions 



