UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE 

 PLANT QUARANTINE DIVISION 

 WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 



SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES, PLANT QUARANTINE DIVISION 

 Work Performed During Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1959 



The Plant Quarantine Division is responsible for preventing the en- 

 try of foreign plant pests. The term "plant pests" includes insects, 

 mites, snails, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and similar 

 organisms. The Division also shares in the responsibility for pre- 

 venting the spread of plant pests within the United States. This is 

 accomplished by (l) administering a system of plant quarantines 

 affecting the importation of plants, plant parts, plant products, and 

 soil frora foreign countries; (Z) regulating the movement of such 

 articles between offshore U. S. areas and from these areas to the 

 mainland; (3) the inspection in transit of interstate shipments of 

 products restricted by Federal domestic plant quarantines; and (4) 

 the inspection and appropriate treatment of nonplant articles and 

 carriers (such as ships andplanes) which maybe infested, infected, 

 or contaminated with plant pests being moved or having moved from 

 foreigner offshore U. S. areas. Additional responsibilities include 

 regulating the importation and interstate movement of plant pests 

 as such and the inspection and certification of domestically grow^n 

 plants and plant products to meet the plant quarantine import re- 

 quirements of countries of destination. The legal basis for these 

 responsibilities is the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912, the Federal 

 Plant Pest Act of 1957, and other related Acts. 



This year marks the 47th year of continuous plant quarantine act- 

 ivities. From the very beginning after passage of the Act of 1912 

 there was inspection of imported nursery stock and certain other 

 plant items, but it was not until the following year that a Federal 

 inspector was assigned to regular duty at a port of entry. In 1959 

 regular inspection services were carried on at 82 ports of entry 

 and limited inspections in six foreign countries. 



The principal activities of the Division are concerned with inspec- 

 tions and appropriate safeguards involving: 



(1) Plants and plant products; including fruits and vegetables, 

 propagative material, and articles intended for processing. 



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