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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



pean inspection service. The chestnut 

 blight and the citrus canker similarly 

 came from Japan, but in the case of these 

 diseases no recognition of them had been 

 made prior to their gaining foothold in 

 this country. 



INADEQUACY Otf SPECIAL QUARANTINES 



To prevent the entry of plant pests, 

 quarantines and restrictions have been 

 applied under the Plant Quarantine Act 

 to all important dangers as they appear, 

 and in this piecemeal fashion some 

 twenty-two restrictive orders and quaran- 

 tines are now in force against foreign 

 plants and plant products. Such piece- 

 meal action can be taken, however, only 

 when the enemy is known, and gives no 

 security against such unknown or un- 

 anticipated enemies as the San Jose scale, 

 the Oriental peach moth, the Japanese 

 beetle, the chestnut blight, and the citrus 

 canker. 



After having studied this subject, as 

 indicated, for many years and after hav- 

 ing given earnest consideration and a 

 practical test of the possible alternatives 

 of inspection and disinfection of plant 

 imports, the experts of the Department 

 of Agriculture and of the several States 

 reached the conclusion that the only pos- 

 sible solution of this problem, which was 

 constantly becoming more serious with 

 the widening of commerce, is the policy 

 of practical exclusion of all plant stock 

 not absolutely essential to the horticul- 

 tural, floricultural, and forestry needs of 

 the United States. The existing control 

 of plant importations is based on this 

 principle. It is perfectly evident that no 

 other system will give adequate protec- 

 tion to the great plant interests of this 

 country. 



ANY NEEDED PLANTS MAY BE IMPORTED 



Ample provision has been made for the 

 importation into the United States of any 

 plant whatsoever, whether for introduc- 

 tion, experimentation, scientific, or other 

 purpose. 



In other words, no plants are abso- 

 lutely denied entry into the United States 

 under this or any other Federal quaran- 

 tine, nor does the Department wish or 

 intend now or at any time to make it im- 

 possible to secure new or old plants for 



which any reasonable introduction need 



can be indicated. 



In addition to the provision in the quar- 

 antine for unlimited importation of cer- 

 tain classes of plants which are deemed 

 essential to the horticulture and floricul- 

 ture of this country, some 650 permits 

 have been issued for the other, or so- 

 called "prohibited, plants," for the pur- 

 pose of establishing new plant-propagat- 

 ing enterprises which shall in a reason- 

 able time supply our future needs. 



Under these permits, entry has been 

 authorized of upward of 16,000,000 of 

 these so-called "prohibited plants,"' in- 

 volving approximately 5,000 different 

 kinds of plants. These importations are 

 now being propagated and reproduced in 

 hundreds of establishments in some 25 

 different States. 



TRYING TO LESSEN RISK 



It is the intention of the Department 

 to continue to permit such entry of any 

 necessary plant for the purpose indicated, 

 to eliminate as soon as possible depend- 

 ency on foreign countries, and thus at- 

 tain the main purpose of the quarantine, 

 in greatly lessening the risk of entry of 

 new plant pests. 



The existing restrictions on the entry 

 of plants have been modified several 

 times, and are subject to future modifica- 

 tion upon presentation of adequate rea- 

 sons therefor, and when such action can 

 be taken without opening dangers which 

 the quarantine is designed to guard 

 against. 



It would certainly seem to be good 

 business and practical common sense to 

 restrict as far as possible importations of 

 plants which in the past have proven so 

 disastrous to the agriculture and horti- 

 culture of this country. It is certainly 

 unthinkable that the farm and garden and 

 orchard and forestry interests of the 

 United States or that any plant lover 

 should want to return to the old system. 



The plant life of America merits the 

 same protection that is given to animals 

 and man to ward off foreign scourges. 



If the average American knew as much 

 of plant diseases as he does of human 

 and animal diseases, the necessity of a 

 quarantine against infected plants would 

 not need to be sustained by argument. 



