12 



collection in wljicli all stages of the insects and tlieir work should be 

 fully illustrated. This ATOuld be of enormous advantage to students 

 in a sbort time, and only tbiuk wliat its extent would be if all of us 

 cooperated honestly and continually for the common benefit! 



When I say that Dr. Eiley is in charge of the collection at the 

 National Museum, I need add nothing concerning the appreciation 

 with which material of this kind Avill be received. 



As this matter of cooperation came before you in the report i)re- 

 sented last year, which I take it you have all considered carefully, I 

 need say nothing more on this head. 



In connection with that same report the subject of insect laws or 

 legislation against insect pests will come up, and we have now to guide 

 us the very useful compilation of the laws heretofore enacted, published 

 by the United States Department of Agriculture. I regret to say that 

 l^ublic opinion in Xew Jersey is so indifferent or even hostile to legis- 

 lation on this subject that no effort was made last winter to pass the 

 bill introduced at the iDrevious session. The matter is not one that I 

 feel called upon to act in myself, except in an advisory capacity, and 

 I have left it wliere I think it properly belongs — in the hands of the 

 farmers themselves. Until they wake up to the necessities of the case, 

 no law, however good, can be satisfactorily enforced. 1 suspect that 

 one reason for the lack of enthusiasm in tlie matter is that almost every 

 man has a secret conviction that he would not be always inclined to 

 live up to the letter of the law himself, and that some critical neighbor 

 might use it against him if he at any time showed himself disposed to 

 insist upon its enforcement against others. Another argument made 

 by one of our apple growers is, " What is the use? I can get perfect 

 ai^ples myself, and the more wormy apples the other fellows have the 

 better the prices I can get for my good ones." This logic is as unan- 

 swerable as another, that wormy apples are good enough for cider and 

 applejack, to say nothing of vinegar. 



Inspection or quarantine laws have been discussed and recommended 

 to prevent distribution of infested stock or the introduction of new 

 pests into new localities, and there may be some practical outcome to 

 this agitation; but until we can arouse a public sentiment strong- 

 enough to secure action in all the States little good will be accom- 

 plished, and where goods enter a State, as they may do, at dozens of 

 points, any really effective inspection would be an expensive matter. 



But here, in the nursery question, we have really a very serious i^rob- 

 lem, one to which I called attention last year, and which Mr. Howard 

 has mentioned and briefly discussed in a recent paper on scale insects. 



It has been suggested that no stock should be i^urchased except under 

 guaranty of freedom from certain scales or pests; but one of our best 

 nurserymen, to whom I suggested the offering of such a guaranty, 

 refused point-blank to even consider it, on the ground that he could 

 not i)ossibly tell where his stock was going, and if after a year or two 



