42 
THE SO-CALLED **BARLOW BILL.” 
55th CONGRESS, 2D SESSION.—H. R. 6894. 
(In the House of Representatives, January 18, 1898, Mr. Barlow introduced the 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and ordered 
to be printed. ) * 
A Bru to provide rules and regulations governing the importation of trees, plants, shrubs, vines 
grafts, cuttings, and buds, commonly known as nursery stock, and fruits into the United States, 
and rules and regulations for the inspection of trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grafts, cuttings, and 
buds, commonly known as nursery stock, grown within the United States, which become subjects 
of interstate commerce or exportation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 
in Congress assembled, That it shall be unlawful for any transportation company, 
after October first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, to offer for entry at any port 
in the United States any trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grafts, cuttings, and buds, com- 
monly known as nursery stock, unless accompanied by a certificate of inspection by 
a government official of the country from which the exportation was made, which 
certificate shall be made in the manner and form prescribed by the Secretary of 
Agriculture, certifying that the contents have been examined and found apparently 
free from all insect and fungous diseases dangerously injurious to nursery stock. 
In case any nursery goods are offered for entry without said certificate, it shall be the 
duty of the collector immediately to notify the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall 
arrange for inspection, and said collector shall not allow them to pass within the 
jurisdiction of the United States until proper certificate of inspection has been 
received. And after the aforesaid date, October first, eighteen hundred and ninety- 
eight, all nursery stock imported in accordance with the aforesaid regulations shall be 
free from all further inspection, quarantine, or restrictions in interstate commerce; 
but the Secretary of Agriculture may at any time relieve such articles from inspec- 
tion by specitic order. 
Sec. 2. That whenever it shall appear to the Secretary of Agriculture that any 
variety of fruit grown in an infested district outside of the United States or District 
of Columbia is being, or is about to be, imported into the United States or the Dis- 
trict of Columbia, and such variety of fruit is infested by any seriously injurious 
insect or disease, and which insect or disease is liable to become established in the 
United States and seriously affect any variety of fruit grown therein, he shall have 
authority to quarantine against any such importations and prevent the same until 
such time as it may appear to him that any such insect or disease has become exter- 
minated in the country or district from which such fruit is being, or about to be, 
imported, when he may withdraw the quarantine; and this shall operate to relieve 
all such fruit from further quarantine or restrictions, so long as the conditions of 
freedom from seriously injurious insect or disease shall continue. 
Sec. 3. That all trees, plants, shrubs, vines, and buds, commonly known as 
nursery stock, grown within the United States, may become subjects of interstate 
commerce under the rules and regulations as herinafter provided. The Secretary of 
Agriculture shall cause to be inspected by a qualified entomologist and vegetable 
pathologist all trees, plants, shrubs, vines, and buds, known as nursery stock, 
which are subjects of interstate commerce, and which are about to be transported 
from one State or Territory or the District of Columbia into another State or Terri- 
tory or the District of Columbia. This examination shall be made, so far as possible, 
prior to September first of each year, in the manner provided for and prescribed by 
the Secretary of Agriculture; and if such nursery stock is found to be apparently 
free from dangerously injurious insects or diseases, the certificate of the officer 
making such examination and finding shall be issued to the owner or owners of such 
*The bill as here printed contains the amendments of the House Committee on Agriculture.—L. O. H. 
——— es eee 
