46 



A similar letter was sent by the Secretary of the Federal 

 Horticultural Board to the Inspector who had certified that the Royal 

 Palms were free from injurious insects and diseases with the addition- 

 al statment that "The continuation of diseased shipments as free 

 from diseases and insect pests will compel us to invoke the second 

 paragraph of regulation 7 of the enclosed circular, namely the can- 

 cellation of all outstanding permits and the refusal to issue further 

 permits for the importation of nursery stock from Cuba". 



Letter from J. R. Jolmstou to Wilmoii Newell, dated. July 29, 1916. 



In regard to the disease of the royal palms shipped to Miami, I 

 can readily see that little else could be done other than destroy the 

 affected trees. I regret exceedingly hower, that the Inspector did not 

 either send to the Pathologist of the Plant Board or to yourself some 

 specimens of the fungus causing the disease or refrain from using 

 the term disease' in his report. 



I have been working among royal palms for many years, have 

 studied their diseases, and I personally inspected this lot that went 

 to Miami, and further examined the palms remaining in the field 

 where these were obtained, without as yet having seen what is pro- 

 perly a "disease" of the trunks. 



Naturally the report of the Inspector to the effect that this lot was 

 diseased on arrival in Miami aroUsed my interest, not only because it 

 was a report of something new to me but actually new to science. I 

 realized that there are still many things unknown to us in Cuba, and 

 here seemed an apportunity for obtaining some new data. 



It is apparently impossible for an inspector to identify every 

 disease that he meets, but I would take liberty of suggesting that 

 you urge upon the inspectors the desirability of sending specimens to 

 your Pathologist for identification. 



Such a procedure would be of great help to us should a similar 

 case arise age^in. 



Mr. Althouse of the Federal Horticultural Board has upon receipt 

 of your report to the effect that these palms were diseased written to 

 the original shipper to the effect that should he ship diseased plants 

 again further permits will be refused him. You will thus readly see 

 the desirability of complete and accurate reports on all rejected plants. 



Extract of a letter from J. B. Johnston to the Federal KortLoulturajl 

 Board, dated Jvdy 29, 1916. 



As regards the^e letters I would call vour attention to the fad 

 that the palms were certified by the Inspection service of Cuba as being 

 freen from disease when they left the shipping point, and in Miam; 

 these same palms were inspected by the Deputy Port and Railway In 

 spector and some of them were reported diseased. On the one hand ai 



