30 
NURSERY INSPECTION. 
A number of problems have presented themselves to the Ento- 
mologist and his deputies in connection with some of the sections 
of this law. Section 7 refers to the treatment accorded a dealer and, 
for some time, it was a question as to what constitutes a dealer. 
The general purpose of the inspection law is to prevent the intro- 
duction of dangerous insects or injurious diseases from other states 
and to also prevent the spreading of same in Minnesota. While 
dealers in the State are, for the most part, honest and careful as to 
where they buy their stock, there are some who unquestionably 
would not hesitate to fill their orders with stock from any source, 
grown perhaps in the far South, not hardy, possibly diseased, and 
in consequence many times purchased at a discount. In order to 
prevent this the above wording of this section was chosen, although 
it at times works a hardship upon the honest dealer. For example, 
dealers located near our state line, absolutely upright, are prevented 
by the terms of this provision, from purchasing stock in adjoining 
states, while the regular nurserymen who own their own property 
and propagate their own stock, can buy elsewhere. In meeting 
with this problem, as to what constitutes a dealer, we discussed 
this matter with many of our representative nurserymen who gen- 
erally purchase from 8 to 15% of the stock sold. These men were 
originally, for the most part, dealers when they began this work, 
and neither they nor the inspectors are disposed to place any unnec- 
essary restraint or unjust burden upon the men who are now begin- 
ning as dealers. Acting largely upon the advice of our representa- 
tive nurserymen, it has seemed desirable to issue a dealer’s certifi- 
cate to a man who raises less than 50% of the stock sold. Before 
receiving a certificate, a dealer is obliged to file with the State Ento- 
mologist, an affidavit executed before a Notary Public, to the effect 
that all stock sold would be purchased in Minnesota from a duly 
inspected nursery, or would be represented by foreign (European 
or English) stock inspected in Minnesota. In 1913 eight of these 
certificates were issued to dealers. When we bear in mind that some 
of these dealers rent only a small plot of ground, or possibly a lot 
or two in the city, and heel in left-over stock, or perhaps grow a 
little stock and advertise it as a nursery, this decision of the Inspec- 
tion Department seems a wise one. The section of the law so 
construed will be a check upon the spread of dangerous insects and 
injurious plant diseases in Minnesota, and be an inducement to all 
dealers to become regular nurserymen as soon as possible. 
