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expectation. In fact, we were at once convinced that the execution of 

 our law, as drawn, would be impossible, and that any attempt to isolate 

 and eradicate the scale from the numerous premises which were found 

 to be infested would involve an outlay of time and money much greater 

 than our station could possibly undertake. 



To speak plainly, our investigations thus far have shown that this 

 insect has gained such a wide dissemination in the State that no action 

 which a single official could possibly take would have much effect in 

 eradicating it, and we have come to believe that the proper duty of the 

 experiment stations or of such State authorities as attempt to control 

 this insect is not to put forth further personal effort to control the scale 

 wherever it may be found m individual localities, but to strike deeper 

 and to at once put the nurseries under such a system of surveillance 

 that its further dissemination from them will be checked with certainty. 



However, the work of clearing the fruit plantations already infested 

 must not be neglected, but its accomplishment must rest largely with 

 the individual growers in the several communities interested. 



A State officer can very properly, and with great profit to the locality 

 interested, supervise and direct the general work ; but unless the indi- 

 vidual growers will actually engage in executing the orders or direc- 

 tions which may be given them there is no hope that the insect can be 

 checked. 



If I am right in believing that the first duty of the official entomolo- 

 gist is to check the dissemination of this pest through the nurseries; 

 then the question of the cooperation of the several States is a prime 

 point, and must be made the basis of all effective work. Certainly all 

 will agree that it is quite useless for the nurseries of one State to be 

 inspected and subjected to drastic control if nurseries just across the 

 border in another State can with impunity ship infested stock into 

 the neighboring State. This it appears is exactly the present status 

 of the case, and hence nurserymen in those States which have laws 

 providing for inspection and eradication of the scale properly enough 

 feel that they will be subjected to great annoyance and probable pecun- 

 iary loss by the execution of any drastic law when their competitors in 

 a State where such laws are not enforced are permitted to enter their 

 State and sell stock free of all control. It is a delicate and important 

 question to say how far or in just what lines cooperation is practicable 

 or shall be undertaken. 



The legislation of the several States is so at variance, even in the 

 laws already passed, and methods of executing laws within the several 

 States also are so at variance, that a serious question arises whether 

 any real security will be attainable by legislation of this sort. 



Every person, and especially every entomologist, who has had any- 

 thing to do with the execution of special enactments of this nature 

 knows that the people resent and very often rebel against what they 

 consider improper interference with their private affairs. 



