THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
21 
LEGISLATION 
Economic Entomologists, Horticultural Inspectors’and Committee 
of American Association of Nurseryman take Important 
step to secure Uniform Inspection Laws and 
Inspection of Imported Nursery Stock. 
(Special Correspondence to National Nurseryman.) 
Chicago, Dec. 27.—The Association of Economic Entomolo¬ 
gists met to-day with the Horticultural Inspectors of the United 
States and a committee of the American Association of Nursery¬ 
men composed of ex-President Orlando Harrison, of Berlin, 
Md.; President J. W. Hill, Des Moines, la.; Professor John 
Craig, Ithaca, N. Y., and Col. C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la. 
The vital subjects of inspection of imported nursery stock and 
the inspection of nurseries engaging in interstate trade were 
under discussion. 
A joint committee of the entomologists and inspectors met 
with the representatives of the nurserymen and unanimously 
agreed upon a set of resolutions which were afterwards adopted 
by the respective associations. These resolutions are as follows: 
Inspect Imported Stock. 
(a) Resolved—That the Secretary of Agriculture be empow¬ 
ered to make regulations governing importations liable to har¬ 
bor insect pests or plant diseases. Such importations are to be 
accompanied by the certificate of a duly accredited entomologist 
of the country in which said shipments originate, or, in the ab¬ 
sence of such certificate, to make inspection of such shipments 
by competent agents at point of destination; and that a suffi¬ 
cient appropriation be made for this purpose by Congress. 
Uniform Certificates. 
(b) That Congress be asked to enact a law empowering the 
Secretary of Agriculture to issue certificates of nursery inspec¬ 
tion as nearly uniform as possible to all nurseries in the United 
States engaging in interstate trade, upon proper inspection of 
such nurseries by duly authorized representatives of the United 
States Department of Agriculture or by State officials approved 
by the Secretary of Agriculture for that purpose; and that suf¬ 
ficient appropriation be made therefor. 
Further: 
That all State and Territorial officials in charge of nursery 
inspection be urged to accept the Federal Certificates at their 
face value and that in the States where laws are now in force 
which will not allow the acceptance of such certificates, the in¬ 
spection departments be requested to endeavor to secure such 
State legislation as will make this possible. 
Control of Pests. 
(c) Resolved—That Congress should authorize the Secretary 
of Agriculture to proceed to exterminate or control imported in¬ 
jurious insects or plant diseases or any insect previously native 
to a restricted locality but which may become migratory and 
threaten the whole country, whenever in his judgment such ac¬ 
tion is wise and practicable; and that an appropriation be made 
for this purpose as a reserve fund against any such pest which 
may arise. 
(d) The Joint Committee proposes to have two bills pre¬ 
pared for introduction in Congress, one of these embracing the 
subject matter of Sections A and B and the other embracing- 
only the subject matter of Section C, and that if the passage 
of both measures be found impracticable or impossible, then all 
efforts be concentrated in the attempt to secure passage of the 
bill involving the certification and inspection of imports and the 
control of nursery shipments entering into interstate trade as 
above outlined. 
Meaning of Above. 
It will be seen that three important features affecting nurs¬ 
erymen and fruit growers are embraced in these resolutions. 
First—Nursery stock brought in from foreign countries must 
be accompanied by a certificate of inspection showing it to be 
free from injurious insects or disease. Without this it may be 
shipped to destination in bond and is there subject to inspection 
by United States officials. Of course this could not be enforced 
until sufficient notice is given to allow shippers and importers 
opportunity to make the necessary arrangements. 
Second—An attempt is to be made to unify and co-ordinate 
inspection and shipping regulations so that the nurseryman will 
be relieved of some of the onerous and vexatious details arising 
out of varying State requirements. It is expected, in case the 
measure receives the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture 
and is passed by Congress, that the United States Bureau of 
En.tomology will co-operate with and make use of existing State 
machinery and officials so that uniform methods may gradually 
be installed to the great comfort and convenience of the ship¬ 
pers. The details must be worked out slowly. 
Third—Congress is to be asked to give the Secretary of Agri¬ 
culture police powers and such authority as may enable him to 
control the spread of pests likely to menace the interests of sev¬ 
eral States. He would have the same authority in this respect 
as is now given him in the control of animal diseases. Sections 
A and C of these resolutions are specially favored by entomolo¬ 
gists and horticultural inspectors. Section B has the general 
support of the great majority of the nurserymen. A few arc 
doubtful in regard to its expediency, fearing additional difficul¬ 
ties affecting the shipment of stock. It is safe to say, however, 
that all will have an opportunity of passing upon the desirabil¬ 
ity of the measure when its features are fully outlined and be¬ 
fore legislative action is taken. The Secretary of Agriculture, 
through the officers of his department, will undoubtedly report 
upon the feasibility of the movement and probably outline a 
scheme of operation. A full discussion will appear in the next 
issue of the “ National Nurseryman.” 
