The 
National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyright, 1899. by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
“ Fruit culture is a great national interest.” —P. Barry. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., JANUARY, 1900. No. 1; 
Vol. VII. 
FEDERAL INSPECTION BILL. 
Re-introduced in Congress Last Month by Representative Wads¬ 
worth of New York, Chairman of Committee on Agriculture, 
at the Request of C. L. Watrous, Chairman of Legislation 
Committee of American Association of Nurserymen, 
I he federal bill to provide rules and regulations governing 
the importation of nursery stock which was introduced in Con¬ 
gress on February 16, 1898, by Congressman Charles A. Barlow, 
of California, and which failed of passage because of the more 
urgent measures before Congress attending the Spanish-Amer- 
ican war, was re-introduced December 4, 1899, by Congress¬ 
man James W. Wadsworth of Geneseo, N. Y., chairman of the 
committee on legislation of the House of Representatives. 
The bill was introduced at the request of C. L. Watrous, 
Des Moines, la., chairman of the committee on legislation, of 
the American Association of Nurserymen. It is the same bill 
that was introduced in 1898, even to the phrase “after Octo¬ 
ber first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight,” and the section, 
“this act shall take effect on and after the thirtieth day of 
June, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight.” It is endorsed by 
members of the committee on legislation of the American As¬ 
sociation who are working hard for its passage. The Na¬ 
tional Nurseryman has obtained the following 
REPRESENTATIVE OPINIONS. 
Chairman Watrous—“The bill is the nurseryman’s bill of 
two years ago, re-introduced. Acting under orders of the 
American Association of Nurserymen, at Chicago last summer, 
I asked Mr. Wadsworth to re-introduce this bill and I have 
been trying to secure such an agreement that we could all 
work together for what the nurserymen want. This co-opera¬ 
tion was secured two years ago by correspondence exactly as 
I am trying to do this year. The committee appointed by the 
American Association will be called together in Washington 
during the latter part of January.” 
Silas Wilson, Atlantic, la., of the American Association 
committee on legislation—“Congressman Wadsworth intro¬ 
duced the new federal San Jose scale bill at the request of 
Chairman Watrous of Des Moines. The legislative committee 
of the American Association of Nurserymen expects to push 
this measure this winter, as we believe this federal law is 
needed badly. There is scarcely a month in the year that 
some state in the Union is not passing some legislation on this 
question and in such legislation barring nursery stock from 
adjoining states. The State of Montana has recently passed a 
state law that amounts in effect to a little monopoly, making 
it impossible to ship nursery stock into Montana. A strong 
federal bill, such as has been introduced by Congressman 
Wadsworth, will fully cover the ground sought to be covered 
by the nurserymen of the country. I think the committee on 
legislation regards the securing of a federal law on this ques¬ 
tion of very great importance. Yes, I might say it is regarded 
as an absolute necessity, in order that we may not as nursery¬ 
men be in a state of fermentation such as we are in now in many 
sections of the country, every state having a law of its own 
regarding this scale and these state laws continually clashing 
with each other.” 
Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y., chairman of the executive 
committee of the American Association—“ I know that there 
is a general sentiment among nurserymen that there has been 
too much San Jose scale talk and that there has been too much 
legislation upon the subject. It should be remembered, how¬ 
ever, that the scale talk has been on the part of those outside 
of the nurserymen and the nurserymen have discussed the 
subject only so far as it was necessary to look out for their 
interests. 
“ As to legislation, if we could get rid of the varied scale 
laws of many of the states I should oppose any further legisla¬ 
tion on the subject. But inasmuch as there are conflicting 
laws in so many of the states, 1 believe it is the best plan to 
urge federal legislation which will result in uniform regulations 
regarding the shipment of nursery stock into all the states. 
It is for this reason that I am in favor of the passage of the 
federal bill as introduced in 1898.” 
BILL STRONGLY FAVORED. 
The bill as introduced in 1898 was favored strongly by the 
American Association of Nurserymen ; Secretary of Agricul¬ 
ture James Wilson ; Professor William B. Alwood, of Virginia; 
Congressman Barlow, of California, President Watrous of the 
American Pomological Society, and others. The committee 
on agriculture reported as follows upon the bill: “We 
urgently recommend that the bill do pass. Your committee 
respectfully state that in their opinion only the most rigid en¬ 
forcement of this or a similar law will save our fruit and orna¬ 
mental and many of our forest trees as well.” 
At the annual meeting of the American Association of Nur¬ 
serymen in Chicago, last June, Mr. Watrous reported : 
“Your committee went to Washington one year ago and had 
favorable hearings before the senate and house committees on 
agriculture, but the Spanish war prevented the completion of 
the work on the bill. Last winter we had more correspondence 
on the subject with congressmen and others and everyone said 
that if should go before the next congress, making the same 
showing that we did, we might expect to get anything that we 
reasonably ought to have, and get it easily.” 
The Iowa Horticultural Society last month adopted the 
following resolution : 
Whereas, Great damage threatens our orchards by the introduction 
of the San Jose scale insect ; therefore be it 
Resolved, That we respectfully ask our senators and representatives 
in congress to use their best efforts to secure a judicious federal law to 
prevent the shipment of infected fruits and plants from foreign coun¬ 
tries and between the states. 
Resolved, That our secretary be instructed to forward a copy of these 
resolutions to each of our senators and representatives in congress. 
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