April, ’23] 
BEATTIE: IMPORTANT PLANT DISEASES 
147 
The first great safeguard is the rule that plants must be freed 
from sand, soil, and earth. The necessity for this rule was largely 
established by years of observation and inspection on the part of 
State and Federal inspectors and need not be further discussed here. 
The second safeguard is the limitation of imported plants to the 
safest form in which material which will meet the needs can be 
imported. The leniency, for example, which the quarantine exhibits 
toward the introduction of seeds of trees and shrubs is due to the 
belief that wherever the material involved will come true from seed it 
is safer to introduce it in that form. Root, stem and leaf diseases 
and insect pests are thereby largely eliminated and the seeds will 
usually withstand more easily necessary disinfection. 
The third safeguard is inspection on entry. The inspection 
system varies in regard to different types of plants and may be 
classed as follows: 
(1) Bulbs permitted unlimited entry, included in Regulation 
3, Item (1), namely: 
Lilium, Convallaria, Tulipa, Hyacinthus, Crocus, and Narcissus 
and beginning with January, 1, 1923, Chionodoxa, Galanthus, Scilla, 
Fritillaria meleagris, Fritillaria imperialis, Muscari, Ixia, and Eran- 
this which together with Narcissus will then be permitted unlimited 
entry for a period of not exceeding three years. 
If these bulbs first arrive in the United States at one of the ports 
where the Federal Horticultural Board maintains a port inspection 
service they are met at that port, the inspection is completed, and 
the necessary notices are there required; if their first arrival is at a 
port other than the above, notices are filed with the Collector of 
Customs and the State Inspector of the state of destination is notified 
of their arrival and their inspection is in his hands. 
(2) Fruit stocks, cuttings, scions and buds of fruits, and rose 
stocks and seeds covered by regulation 3, Items (2), (3), (4), and (5) 
are superficially examined at the port of first arrival for compliance 
with the requirements as to certificate and markings, the proper 
notices are required and the plants are forwarded to destination for 
inspection by the State Inspector. 
(3) If the importer desires to import seeds by mail a special 
mail permit is issued to him and special mail tags are furnished him 
which direct the shipment to Washington, D. C., or San Francisco, 
California, as may be most convenient and the material receives 
direct Federal inspection. 
