44 



CERTIFICATE'S OF INiSP-ECTION FOR 

 EXPORTED PLANTS 



In regard to the issuing of certifieates for plants to be 

 shipped to fpreign epuntries, two important pro^blems 'have arisen, 

 neither of them of Siieh a nature as to be easily overcome. 



The first problMn is due to the very existence of plant 

 quarantine regulatious. theiniselves. Various countries have these 

 regulations. The United States has certain ones, and the various 

 States have others in addition. 



Insect pests and diseases are occasionally appearing in new 

 countries, and rarely are they disappearing. These conditions, 

 however, cause the quarantine regulations for their control to be 

 in a more or less constant state of fluctuation ; that is to say, new 

 regulations are being made and old ones modified or abolished. 



For any one country to obtain up-to-date advices as to these 

 regulations seems impossible, or at best difficult. 



As a result of this, certifieates are occasionally given by the 

 inspector of one country for plants to be sent to another country 

 which has a quarantine against such .plants whether certified 

 or- not. The issuing of the certificate of course has done no harm 

 unless it was to mislead the shipper into a sense of false security. 

 At "best it reflects as a piece of foolishness on the one who issued 

 the certificate. - 



The President of the Commission of Plant Sanitation 

 has already elsewhere published a solution of this difficulty that 

 is, the creation of a Central Quarantine Board for all the Ameri- 

 can countries. rSuch a Central Board to make a special duty to 

 maintain on file copies of the quarantine regulations of all the 

 American countries and to notify each and every country of 

 aiiy changes. ^ 



, Pending such a very desirable arrangement between the 

 different countries, each country has to do what it can to ascer- 

 tain the various regulations of- the neighboring countries. 



The other difficulty encountered in this work is two fold, and 

 is due to the laiok, of knowledge of the insects and diseases of 

 thacountry. In Cuba there are many insects and diseases un- 

 known to the inspectors and to the investigators of that country 

 as well, as of other countries (see page 52). So far as the 

 insects are concerned, for the most part they can be seen. So 

 far as the diseases are concemjed; any sympton of disease can be 

 seen, hut the presence or absenice of spores or of mycelium or 

 other inconspicuous parts of a disease-producing organism may 

 be diificult or impossible to see with the naked eye. 



