2/8 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
impression that this .law under discussion provides for the 
federal inspection of foreign nursery stock. There is no 
provision in the law for the federal inspection of foreign 
nursery stock. The law provides that foreign nursery stock 
must be inspected in the country where it is grown before it 
can be imported, but that is the only requirement for inspec¬ 
tion. The laws of various states require state inspection, and 
the federal law obliges you to send a notice of the arrival of 
foreign stock to the state inspector, but it does not and cannot 
oblige the state inspector to inspect your stock, so that as far 
as inspection is concerned this law has not changed the 
previous existing conditions except that it will probably make 
more effective the inspection in foreign countries. So far as 
inspection on this side is concerned, you will still depend on 
state laws, as heretofore. 
yi' It has been stated to yotu Committee by some members 
that this law is a good thing because it provided for federal 
inspection. That impression is entirely erroneous. The 
substance of the law is that it places authority in the hands of 
the Federal Horticultural Board, at their option, to declare a 
quarantine against any and all foreign nursery stock, and 
prevent its introduction into the United States; and further, 
the law gives the Federal Horticultural Board power to 
quarantine any nursery or nursery section in the United 
States and prohibit shipments of nursery stock out of that 
nursery or section during the continuance of the quarantine. 
Those are the main and important provisions of the law, 
and the provisions which some day may make trouble. It is, 
of coiuse, hoped that the law will be administered wisely and 
with good judgment. If it is, perhaps no serious difficulties 
will result, but the law lodges in the hands of the Federal 
Horticultural Board the power to absolutely control the 
importation of nursery stock from foreign countries, and to 
absolutely prevent you from shipping out your goods at any 
time when in the judgment of the Board it may seem proper 
to do so. The other provisions of the law, for applications 
and permits, are matters of detail. The substance of the law 
is quarantine—foreign and domestic. In the opinion of your 
Committee, the enactment of this law is not a subject of 
congratulation by the museryman, but rather one that 
should be viewed with regret and with the fear that some day. 
it may be so administered as to cause us serious trouble and 
loss. 
Your Committee feels that the present Board of Horticul¬ 
ture has treated us fairly and reasonably, and expects that 
this condition will continue. They have listened to our 
arguments and suggestions courteously, and have given us 
every opportunity to present our views, and the thanks of 
this Association are due that body. It is to be hoped that 
future Boards and futtrre officials "will follow on the same wise 
lines, and that we shall have no serious difficulties, but the 
risk is and will be ever present. 
State Legislation 
State of New York 
Dirring the session of the Legislatirre last winter, a bill was 
introduced which would have been very burdensome to the 
nursery interests. After considerable work, the bill was 
amended, or rather re-written, and most of the objectionable 
provisions eliminated. It failed of passage, however, but is 
likely to reappear next winter, and as. it still contains pro¬ 
visions requiring registration and licensing of outside nursery¬ 
men doing business in New York State, it is of interest to the 
Association generally, and yoirr new Committee on Legisla¬ 
tion should be instructed to keep careful watch of this matter 
and secirre such modifications as will remove any and all 
unnecessary burdens. The bill also contained some provi¬ 
sions affecting only New York State nurserymen, which 
should not be allowed to pass. 
State of New fersey 
Last winter some of our members received a notice from 
the New Jersey Inspection Department to the effect that we 
must furnish that Department a list of the customers in New 
Jersey to whom shipments were made, and accompany such 
list with a detailed statement of the quantities and kinds of 
stock shipped to such customers. Your Committee had con¬ 
siderable correspondence on the subject, endeavoring to point 
out the difficulties and large amount of labor necessary to send 
lists of retail orders handed through delivery agents, and 
finally the New Jersey authorities withdrew the ruling and 
said that the rule need apply only to large shipments made 
direct to the purchasers, which, of course, was a compara¬ 
tively easy matter to handle. 
State of Illinois 
Last fall some of our members received a notice from the 
inspection authorities of Illinois, to the effect that we must 
attach a copy of inspection certificates to each package or 
bundle contained in a box, as well as attaching copy of the 
certificate to the outside of the box; this to apply to retail 
deliveries handled through agents or deliverymen, so that 
each customer in the delivery would be sure to receive an 
inspection certificate. On examination of the Illinois law, 
your Committee was unable to find any provision in the law 
authorizing such an order, and so stated to the state inspec¬ 
tor, who referred the matter to his Attorney General, and the 
Attorney General decided that the position of the nurserymen 
was right, and that there was no authority for such a ruling, 
so that trouble was done away with. 
State of Massachusetts 
The report of this Committee at the Boston Convention 
outlined some changes in the Massachusetts law, effective 
' December ist, 1912. We understand that these changes have 
gone into effect, and so far as your Committee is informed, 
the law is working smoothly and no complaints have come to 
the notice of your Committee. 
State of West Virginia 
During the last session of the West Virginia Legislature, a 
new law was enacted, regulating the shipments of nursery 
stock to West Virginia from other states, and the substance of 
their requirements is as follows: 
West Virginia 
First—A registration certificate must be obtained from the 
state auditor at Wheeling, W. Va. Fee for this certificate is 
