50 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Richardson, chairman; H. B. Stevens and 
J. D. Bell. 
Prof. Rolfs—We have with us the 
State Entomologist from Georgia, Prof. 
Smith. We would be glad if he will give 
us a short talk. 
Mr. Taber—Can’t you tell us about the 
operation of your law, etc. ? 
Prof. Smith—I am glad to tell you 
about the inspection law in Georgia. In 
the hrst place, we have there a State 
Board of Entomology, supported by the 
state appropriation, and their work is laid 
down in the law which created the de¬ 
partment. One branch of the work is 
the inspection of the nurseries in the state. 
The State Entomologist, or duly author¬ 
ized assistant, is required to visit every 
nursery in the state each year and make 
a careful inspection of the nursery and 
surrounding conditions, and if the nurs¬ 
ery is found apparently free from the San 
Jose scale and other insects and diseases, 
the nurseryman is given a certificate un¬ 
der which he can ship stock to any part 
of the state, and that certificate is usually 
accepted by any entomologist in any other 
state where they require a certificate. 
I have been in Georgia only four years, 
but know somewhat about the working 
of inspection in other states, and I think 
that perhaps we make a more thorough 
inspection than the majority of the states. 
I want you to notice this point, that 
the lazv requires us to inspect the nurs¬ 
eries, and if we can do so consistently, 
we gi^’e a certificate saying that the stock 
is apparently free from San Jose scale. 
There is no entomologist in the world who 
can say that a plant is absolutely free 
from San Jose scale. You cannot say that 
a nursery is absolutely free; but after it 
has been carefully inspected by a com¬ 
petent inspector who has had considera¬ 
ble experience, he can tell you pretty well 
whether it is infected or not, and if he 
finds no sign of that pest, we feel safe 
in giving the certificate. 
Mr. Skinner^—You spoke of the San 
Jose scale. It seems, to me a couple of 
years ago a lady-bird was imported from 
China. What has become of them? 
Prof. Smith—Most of them have died 
out. Of all the colonies started in sev¬ 
eral states the one in Marshallville, Ga., 
was the most successful. In the summer 
of 1903 we found that they were destroy¬ 
ing some of the scale, but not enough 
to make any appreciable decrease. Next 
spring it was impossible to find many 
there, probably on account of the spray¬ 
ing that had been given the previous win¬ 
ter. In the summer of 1905 I sent one 
of my assistants to every place in Georgia 
where a colony had been established, and 
also sent him to DeLand, Florida, where 
we had sent some of those lady-birds, 
and he found almost none whatever. The 
general concensus of opinion is that the 
lady-bird will probably never become ac¬ 
climated in the United States. 
I might state further, with regard to 
the nursery inspection, that there is a 
need, I think, in Georgia and other states 
of some change in the nursery inspection 
laws. It is getting to the point where 
it is almost impossible for all the nurs¬ 
eries in the state to be free from the San 
Jose scale, and I feel that the time is com¬ 
ing when the scale will get in such a 
great number of the nurseries that it will 
be necessary to issue a different kind of 
a certificate than w'hat we have been issu¬ 
ing. If the nurserymen are prevented 
from selling their stock by reason of find¬ 
ing a little of the scale in a small block, 
