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into the State of Maryland from any other State, showing that the eon- 

 tents have been inspected by a State or Government officer and are 

 free from insect pests and plant diseases, is perhaps of greater interest 

 to entomologists and nurserymen outside the State of Maryland than 

 any other section. Upon satisfactory proof that the provisions of this 

 act have been violated the packages must be returned to the shipper or 

 consignor, unless the agent or consignee shall have the stock examined 

 by the Maryland State official, who will furnish the necessary certificate 

 in case no injurious insect or plant disease are found. In consequence 

 of a failure to return the stock to the shipper or to have it examined 

 by the State entomologist it must be burned and destroyed. 



From the fact that the San Jose scale has been found in several nur- 

 series in Maryland, I realize that it is practically impossible for even 

 an expert entomologist to be certain that the pest has been entirely 

 exterminated from such nurseries and furnish the owners an absolute 

 guaranty of freedom from scale. As pointed out by Dr. Howard and 

 Mr. Marlatt in their excellent bulletin on the San Jose scale (Bulletin 

 JSo. 3, New Series, p. 71), "no examination can be so thorough as to 

 make it impossible that not an individual scale has been overlooked, 

 and the wide range of food plants makes it always possible for the scale 

 to be reintroduced from near-by sources.' 7 I believe, with the authors 

 of this bulletin, that the only safe course is to demand from the nur- 

 seryman, secured by State legislation if necessary, a written certificate 

 that the stock has never been infested or subject to infestation, that it 

 has been examined by the State or Government entomologist, and, 

 further, that he will assume the responsibility for the subsequent dam- 

 age should his belief in the cleanliness of the stock prove ill founded. 

 With such legislation, strict quarantine laws rigidly enforced, and the 

 destruction of local sources of infestation, I believe the San Jose scale 

 can be kept in check in any locality. Extermination is another thing. 

 When the attack is confined to comparatively small trees and over a 

 limited area, I believe the pest can be completely destroyed, but when 

 established in large fruiting orchards its complete destruction means 

 an expense in apparatus, material, and labor far beyond the means of 

 the average horticulturist. In conversation with one of the largest 

 and most successful fruit growers in Maryland recently he told me 

 he would give 81,500 cash if his orchards were free from the San Jose 

 scale. He is a man of exceptional ability and push and proposes to 

 leave nothing undone to suppress the scale. Last year he spent nearly 

 8100 fighting it, using over -100 gallons of whale-oil soap, applying it at 

 the rate of 2h pounds to a gallon of water; but the pest is still present on 

 his trees and openly challenges the intelligence and enterprise of this 

 thoroughgoing horticulturist for its suppression. Although discour- 

 aged, he still has hope, and will repeat the same heroic treatment with 

 soap this fall and winter. 



The most alarming part of the situation in Maryland is the fact that 



