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the Pacific Slope, and the well-known eastern spread of the Colorado 
potato-beetle from the plains of the West, at first slow and accom- 
plished only by the flight of the perfect insect, but afterwards carried 
on in great jumps, assisted by the railroads, is a startling case within 
the recollection of everyone. 
I have said enough, perhaps, to indicate the great importance of 
this subject and the absolute necessity of the immediate and serious 
consideration of the question of defense. The employment of state 
entomologists or the attaching of men trained in the study of insects 
to the staffs of the state experiment stations, is the first step. The 
majority of the injurious insects of the regions which these men super- 
vise become known to them sooner or later, and in most cases a new 
insect pest will be brought to their notice. It will, however, very often 
happen, and, indeed, has happened, that a new insect will have gained 
a foothold and will have achieved a considerable spread before the 
fruit- growers or farmers become aware of the fact, and before entomol- 
ogists learn of it, so that certain local measures restricting the impor- 
tation or*. sale of uninspected material which may carry injurious 
insects aie necessary. 
The greatest sufferers from imported injurious insects have, perhaps, 
been the fruit-growers of California, and this State was naturally the 
first to pass quarantine and inspection laws. The first efficient regu- 
lation of this character was passed by the legislature of California in 
the spring of 1881, and was entitled "An act to protect and promote 
the horticultural interests of the. State." This law has since been 
amended and enlarged, until its present effect is eminently satisfactory. 
Nursery stock, aud fruit in particular, have been invariably inspected 
with care, quarantined if found infested, submitted, to thorough fumi- 
gation with hydrocyanic acid gas, and confiscated and destroyed 
if this is found to be necessary. Moreover, penalties are enforced for 
the exposing of infested fruit for sale in the markets. Cargoes arriv- 
ing at California ports are examined, and nursery stock coming by rail 
from the East also receives inspection. California is thus reasonably 
well protected, but, unfortunately, there is nothing in her law which 
prohibits the sending of infested fruit or stock to her less fortunate 
eastern.neighbors. A man will be fined if he exposes for sale in San 
Francisco or Los Angeles a crate of California pears covered with the 
San Jose scale, but if he boxes up his crate and sells it to a merchant 
in Chicago or Xew York he will get his price, with no penalty, except, 
let us hope, qualms of conscience. 
Following the adoption of the California regulations, several of the 
Australian colonies, Xew Zealand, and Cape Colony adopted restrictive 
regulations. Later Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in this country 
adopted similar measures, and British Columbia has. within a year, 
revised her acts concerning the Provincial Board of Horticulture, and 
established a series of rules and regulations for the purpose of prevent- 
