BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE 
111 
Table 17. — Inspection and fumigation of railicay cars crossing the border from 
Mexico, fiscal year 1939 
Port 
Cars 
inspected 
Cars with 
cottonseed 
Cars 
entered 
Cars 
fumigated 
Fees 
collected 
Number 
1,209 
2,291 
2, 073 
10, 517 
11,861 
903 
6,098 
560 
Number 
15 
11 
317 
553 
1,404 
10 
469 
18 
Number 
1,209 
2,291 
2,073 
9, 997 
10, 834 
903 
5,874 
560 
Number 
13 
34 
576 
»924 
1,651 
7 
819 
10 
Dollars 
12 
136 
2,200 
El Paso --- - -- 
3, 524 
7, 200 
28 
3,200 
40 
Total -. 
35, 512 
2,797 
33, 741 
4,024 
» 16, 340 
i Includes 2 trucks containing cotton machinery. 
2 Includes 5 cars and 1 truck not from Mexico. 
3 The apparent discrepancy in fees collected and the number of cars fumigated may be explained by the 
fact that it is customary for the railroads to purchase fumigation coupons in advance. 
In addition to the freight cars listed in table 17, 4,480 pnllman and 
passenger coaches entered and were inspected at the f ollowing ports : 
El Paso, 1,293; Laredo, 2,803; Nogales, 381; and Douglas, 3. _ 
The improvement of highways in Mexico has resulted in a con- 
siderable increase in automobile traffic between the two countries. 
The records reveal that 4,019,169 vehicles and 340,487 pieces of per- 
sonal baggage were examined, in cooperation with the customs service. 
INSPECTION IN PUERTO RICO AND HAWAII 
The enforcement of Quarantine No. 58, governing the movement of 
fresh fruits and vegetables from Puerto Rico to the mainland, is taken 
care of by plant-quarantine inspectors stationed on the island. In- 
spections are made in the orchards and fields, in packing houses, and 
on the docks, of such fruits and vegetables as are permitted to move 
to the mainland. During the year 2,812 shipments, consisting of 780 
bunches of bananas, 474,813 crates of pineapples, and 24,477,500 pounds 
of other approved fruits and vegetables were certified for such move- 
ment. 
While there has been a decided decrease in the amount of grapefruit 
shipped from the island to the mainland during the last few years, 
there has been an increase in other commodities. Exclusive of ba- 
nanas and pineapples, the total quantity of other approved fruits and 
vegetables for the fiscal year 1938 amounted to 14,426,534 pounds. 
For the fiscal year 1939 these figures were increased to 24,477,500. The 
items responsible for most of this increase were cucumbers, plantains, 
tomatoes, and yams. 
With the cooperation of post-office officials, parcel-post packages 
destined for points on the mainland were inspected at the four main 
post offices on the island. This arrangement makes it possible to 
intercept much prohibited plant material before it leaves the island 
and also reduces considerably the number of Puerto Rican mail pack- 
ages requiring inspection on arrival in New York. 
A total of 2,671 parcel-post packages were examined, and 160 were 
found to contain prohibited plant material and were returned to the 
sender. 
The enforcement of foreign plant quarantines and regulations as 
they affect the entry of foreign plants and plant products into the 
island is under the general supervision of the inspector in charge of 
