24 SUPPRESSION OP INSECT PESTS AND PLANT DISEASES. 



the man who lills that office, and I beUeve it is the desire of the people 

 here that we leave it to him. 



Mr. Van Deman. I am fally in accord with the sentiments of the 

 gentleman from California, and if the inspection of dried prunes and 

 other dried fruits is practicable I am certainly in favor of it, but the 

 question rises in my mind as to whether it would be practicable, 

 because dried fruits are put up in sacks, boxes, etc., and it would l)e, 

 in my opinion, impossible to x^roperly inspect fruits in that condition. 



Mr. Powell. The chances are they would not need to be inspected, 

 but if they did it could doubtless be arranged by raising lids and 

 fumigating. 



Mr. Alwood. The committee intended the ax)plication of this part 

 only in case of some immediate danger from a certain district. Where 

 this was threatened the Secretary of Agriculture could then check it 

 and save the country from the introduction of some serious pest. 



The section was adopted without amendment. 



Section 2 was read and was adopted without discussion or amendment. 



Section 3 was then read and was discussed as follows : 



Mr. Barry. I would like to inquire whether the committee considers 

 it feasible to examine stock at a port of entry, or have the stock 

 inspected at a port of entry, as in the manner suggested in this section — 

 take, for instance, the arrival of 100 cases of nursery stock in one 

 shipment; I would like to inquire how it is to be done. 



Mr. HoBBS. It seems to me rather impracticable to treat the stock 

 at the port of entry here. It occurs to me that this inspection and 

 treatment of the stock should be done before it is boxed. I think we 

 should require this. 



Mr. Alwood. This was all considered by the committee, but we had 

 no way of reaching it except to give the Secretary of Agriculture 

 power to inspect it. Inspecticm has been beneficial in California. 

 That can not be denied. The result would be in most cases that for- 

 eign countries would accept our law and shipments would be inspected 

 on their side, otherwise leave it to the Secretary of Agriculture. I 

 may say here that the Department of Agriculture has eyes that see 

 very far. It knows what is going on in foreign countries and hence 

 it can check stock at the port of entry. 



Mr. BissELL. The handling of nursery stock arriving in a vessel 

 would be a simple matter compared with the other things inspected 

 for the purpose of appraising value and fixing customs duty. The 

 Secretary of Agriculture would certainly confer with nurserymen and 

 have this matter handled in their interest. 



Mr. Barry. The section is apparently all right, but otherwise all 

 wrong, because we do not see how it can be done. The committee ad- 

 mit that they do not see how it can be accomplished. It is all very 

 well to make the law as you have, but there is something serious about 

 it. We do not see our way clear to do it, and I shall not favor it until 



