2 
Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (Vol. 2o p. i) in which suggestions 
for legislation on the subject were made, and drafted an ordinance the 
same year which was carried into effect early in 1890 and has been 
kept in force with great success ever since. This ordinance was later 
adopted by some other tropical countries, and by the F. M. S. at the 
suggestion of the Director of Gardens of Singapore as soon as it was 
necessary to do so owing to the development of the industry in the 
F. M. S. The ordinance was in force and has been carried out by 
suitable staffs in Singapore, Malacca, Penang and Province Wellesley 
from 1890 to the present day. 
The real history of legislation against insect and fungus pests 
with a good account of the ordinance passed by different Govern- 
ments, their working, and efficacy or failure would be a subject well 
worth study and very helpful. It often happens that such legisla- 
tive ordinances are not recorded in Botanical or Agricultural 
literature but, in inaccessible legal or official publications. The 
introduction of legislation, external as Dr. Willis calls it, against 
Phylloxera in France, Australia and the Cape certainly dates from the 
early eighties. Loder (Spraying of plants 374) gives the following 
dates; California, March, 1881, an internal law requiring cultivators 
to destroy insect and fungus pests, amended 1889 ; Canada 1892, a 
law forbidding spraying fruit trees with poisons injurious to trees ; 
Massachussetts, March, 1890, legislation against the Gypsy moth ; 
Michigan, 1895, legislation against pests ; Utah, 1894, legislation to 
inspect fruit trees and destroy insect pests. Tasmania had legislation 
against the codlin moth pretty early, but I have no dates. Over 
twenty years ago Jamaica refused to admit plants coming from any 
country where Hemileia vastatrix occurred. 
Australia has a Diseases of Plants act in 1896, but Tryon says no 
legal restrictions were put into force till 1897 (Queensland Agricul- 
tural Journal, June, 1898, 494). 
In the East Indies Singapore seems to have taken the lead with 
the coconut trees ordinance in 1890. There was really no need for 
legislation against plants introduced from outside as practically all 
useful plants introduced to the Colony or F. M. S. came in via the 
Botanic Gardens at Singapore and were there cultivated before being 
sent out and any disease would have been noticed and checked. Since 
that date the only legislation passed has been the ordinance of 1908 
to impower the Governor to pass legislation against importing dis- 
eased plants, etc., and this is being followed up by an ordinance against 
Diplodia. Ceylon, according to Dr. Willis, commenced legislating in 
1901 with an ordinance for disinfecting fruit liable to carry dangerous 
pests and then as he says went further than the F. M. S. in legisla- 
tion. He does not allude to the legislation of other countries. The 
Ceylon legislation was levelled at the introduction of diseases of tea, 
cocoa, pepper, citrus, fruits and plants, Indian potatoes and cotton. 
It is quite natural for Ceylon to extend legislation of this type to 
a further series of plants than is required by the Malay Peninsula, 
