LESISLATIOl^T III CuITItkcTIOH \7ITH FIMTT L'ISEASES 'fC 



By 

 H. T. Gussow, Dominion Botanist, 

 Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada. 



Anyone whose duties have brought him into contact with the 

 important problem of protecting the agricultural, horticultural 

 and other economic crops of a country from destructive diseases, 

 particularly from fungous and bacterial plant diseases liable to 

 invade the country, must have fully recognized that he is indeed 

 confronted by one of the most perplexing problems - difficult, if 

 at all possible of solution. 



This statement may be readily proved to be correct, partly 

 by the total absence in a number of countries of a legislative 

 measures directed against the spreading of plant diseases within 

 the country, and, partly by the Inefficiency or impracticability 

 of systems that may be in force in other countries. The whole 

 difficulty is no doubt to a large extent due to the fact that, 

 hitherto, plant pathologists have made no attempt to carefully 

 devise and consider practical useful means by discussing the 

 value of the proposed legislation at national or International 

 conferences. 



The question of legislative measures against the spread of 

 diseases of economic plants demanded consideration after the 

 serious and destructive nature of insects like the Grape-vine 

 Phylloxera, the San Jose Scale and the Colorado Beetle was more 

 fully recognized, at first in countries where these pests existed, 

 to be followed by other countries by measures directed mainly 

 against the invasion from such truly undesirable aliens. The 



