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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
“ The Association of Horticultural Commissioners of South¬ 
ern California,” says the American Florist, “has drafted a bill 
to be submitted to Congress proposing the establishment of a 
national quarantine against infested nursery stock of all kinds 
imported from foreign countries. The bill contains provisions 
of similar nature to operate as an interstate law.” 
The Niagara Fruit Growers’ Association met at St. Catha¬ 
rines, Ont., December 16 . Discussion of the embargo on 
American nursery stock brought out a resolution for its re¬ 
moval, which received scant support. It was stated that if re¬ 
moved, prices of Canadian stock would at once be raised. 
THE FEDERAL BILL. 
Following is the text of the bill : 
A BILL 
To provide rules and regulations governing the importation of trees, 
plants, shrubs, vines, grafts, cuttings, and buds, commonly known 
as nursery stock, and fruits into the United States, and rules and 
regulations for the inspection of trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grafts, 
cuttings, and buds, commonly known as nursery stock, grown 
within the United States, which become subjects of interstate com¬ 
merce or exportation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall 
be unlawful for any transportation company, after October first, 
eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, to offer for entry at any port in 
the United States any trees, plants, shrubs, vines, grafts, cuttings, and 
buds, commonly known as nursery stock, unless accompanied by a 
certificate of inspection by a government official of the country from 
which the exportation was made, which certificate shall be made in 
the manner and form prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture, certi¬ 
fying that the contents have been examined and found apparently 
free from all insect and fungous diseases dangerously injurious to 
nursery stock. In case any nursery goods are offered for entry with¬ 
out said certificate, it shall be the duty of the collector immediately to 
notify the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall arrange for inspection, 
and said collector shall not allow them to pass within the jurisdiction 
of the United States until proper certificate of inspection has been re¬ 
ceived. And after the aforesaid date, October first, eighteen hundred 
and ninety-eight, all nursery stock imported in accordance with the 
aforesaid regulations shall be free from all further inspection, quaran¬ 
tine, or restrictions in interstate commerce ; but the Secretary of Agri¬ 
culture may at any time relieve such articles from inspection by a 
specific order. 
Sec. 2. That whenever it shall appear to the Secretary of Agricul¬ 
ture that any variety of fruit, grown in an infested district outside of 
the United States or District of Columbia, is being, or is about to be, 
imported into the United States or the District of Columbia, and such 
variety of fruit is infested by any seriously injurious insect or disease, 
and which insect or disease is liable to become established in the 
United States and seriously affect any variety of fruit grown therein, 
he shall have authority to quarantine against any such importations 
and prevent the same until such time as it may appear to him that any 
such insect or disease has become exterminated in the country or 
district from which such fruit is being, or about to be, imported, when 
he may withdraw the quarantine ; and this shall operate to relieve all 
such fruit from further quarantine or restrictions, so long as the con¬ 
ditions of freedom from seriously injurious insect or disease shall con¬ 
tinue. 
Sec. 3. That all trees, plants, shrubs, vines, and buds, commonly 
known as nursery stock, grown within the United States, may become 
subjects of interstate commerce under the rules and regulations as 
hereinafter provided. The Secretary of Agriculture shall cause to be 
inspected by a qualified entomologist and vegetable pathologist all trees, 
plants, shrubs, vines, and buds, known as nursery stock, which are 
subjects of interstate commerce, and which are about to be transported 
from one State or Territory or the District of Columbia into another 
State or Territory or the District of Columbia. This examination shall 
be made, so far as possible, prior to September first of each year, in the 
manner provided for and prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture ; 
and if such nursery stock is found to be apparently free from danger¬ 
ously injurious insects or diseases, the certificate of the officer making 
such examination and finding shall be issued to the owner or owners of 
such nursery stock, a copy of which certificate shall be attached to and 
accompany each carload, box, bale, or package, and when so attached 
and accompanying shall operate to release all such nursery stock from 
further inspection, quarantine, or restriction in interstate commerce. 
Sec. 4. That it shall be unlawful for any person, persons, or corpo¬ 
ration to deliver to any other person, persons, or corporation, or to the 
postal service of the United States (except for scientific purposes or by 
permission of the Secretary of Agriculture), for transportation from 
one State or Territory or the District of Columbia to any other State or 
Territory or the District of Columbia, or for exportation to any foreign 
country, any trees, plants, shrubs, vines, or other nursery stock which 
have not been examined in accordance with the provision of section 
three of this Act, or which on said examination have been declared by 
the inspector to be infested with dangerously injurious insects or 
diseases. Any person, persons, firm, or corporation who shall forge, 
counterfeit, or knowingly alter, deface, or destroy any certificate' or 
copy thereof as provided for in this Act and in the regulations of the 
Secretary of Agriculture, or shall in any way violate the provisions of 
this Act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on a conviction 
thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars 
nor less than two hundred dollars, or by imprisonment not to exceed 
one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. 
Sec. 5. That the rules and regulations herein provided for shall be 
promulgated on or before the first day of July of each year. 
Sec. 6 . That the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, to be avail¬ 
able on the first day of May. eighteen hundred and ninety-eight., or so 
much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any 
moneys in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appro¬ 
priated, to carry into effect the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 7. That this Act shall take effect on and after the thirtieth day 
of June, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. 
Sec. 8. That the provisions of this Act shall not apply to florists’ 
greenhouse trees, shrubs, plants, bulbs, and so forth, commonly known 
as florists’ stock. 
CANADIAN NURSERY LAWS. 
The Independent of Grimsby, Ont, opposes a contemplated 
change in the existing regulations regarding the importation of 
foreign nursery stock. It says : 
The San Jose scale commission made the discovery that the orchards 
most infected with the scale were those nearest the Niagara frontier. 
In this section some stock was planted that had been procured from 
New York state where the scale was prevalent. The unrestricted ad¬ 
mission of such stock into our country would produce untold disaster 
to the fruit industry and utter demoralization to the fruit trade. 
The present condition of affairs is much preferable. One pernicious 
feature of the nursery business that the embargo has wiped out is the 
“ jobbing business.” Jobbers cannot buy across the lines, the Canadian 
nurserymen will not sell to them, and so they have passed—never to 
return—we sincerely hope. The Canadian nurserymen are not afraid 
to meet the Americans in direct competition, for as a matter of fact the 
price of nursery stock is higher in the United States to-day than it is 
in Canada, but what our nurserymen do object to is coming into com 
petition with jobbers selling third class American stock. 
We are working up a good fruit trade with Britain. The possibili¬ 
ties are great. No risks should be undertaken that would, in the 
slightest degree, imperil our prospects in this direction. We trust the 
government will turn a deaf ear to any propositions having for their 
object the unrestricted entry of fruit stock into Canada. 
NOTICE TO CALIFORNIANS. 
The California horticultural commissioners have received 
notice from Alexander Craw, of the State Board of Horticul¬ 
ture, calling attention to the dangers of importing diseased 
nursery stock and advising them to caution nurserymen and 
others against ordering peach and other stone fruit from 
eastern and southern states, as unless an absolutely clean bill 
of health can be produced the stock will be condemned. 
