LEGAL ENACTMENTS FOR THE RESTRICTION OF 

 PLANT DISEASES. 



[A compilation of ths laws of tlie United States and Canada, by Erwin F. Smith.] 



INTRODUCTION. 



Legislation in this country for the restriction of the communicable 

 diseases of plants is scarcely more than 20 years old. It began in 

 Michigan with the peach yellows law of 1875. Most of the States still 

 have no laws whatever bearing on this subject, and in the others the 

 laws, with few exceptions, are directed only against special diseases, 

 e. g., yellows or black knot. 



Owing to frequent requests for information on this subject, an effort 

 has been made to include all these laws in one compilation. These 

 enactments, devised to meet special exigencies, form a rather hetero- 

 geneous collection, some of them being well and others ill adapted to 

 jaccomplish the ends desired. To show the evolution of the subject, a 

 few laws are included which are not now in force, these having in some 

 cases been superseded by better laws, and in other cases by worse ones. 

 For the sake of comparison the phytopathological laws of the Canadian 

 Provinces have also been included. 



The twelve States which now have laws of some sort for the pre- 

 vention of the spread of i3lant diseases are as follows: California, a 

 general law; Connecticut, peach yellows j Delaware, peach yellows; 

 Kentucky, black knot of plum and cherry; Maryland, peach yellows; 

 Michigan, i^each yellows and black knot of plum and cherry; New 

 Jersey, for a cranberry disease, and of general application under 

 special conditions; New York, j)each yellows and black knot; Oregon, 

 a general law; Pennsylvania, peach yellows; Virginia, peach yellows; 

 Washington, a general law. 



Undoubtedly there will be a large extension of this class of legis- 

 lation in the near future, as our knowledge of the method of spread 

 of parasitic diseases becomes more exact, and as the progressive agri- 

 culturists, horticulturists, and market gardeners become more alive 

 to their own interests. For this reason it is highly desirable that a 

 knowledge of what has already been done should be within easy reach 

 of all. 



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