The record-union., 1898-04-22

| tndL no inspection can detect either or
those destructive diseases in their in
/ cipiency
The advocates of this bill are placing
great stress upon the Importance of
! Section 3. This section reads: 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 qualified entomologist and veg
etable 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 Column
bia into another State or Territory or
the District of Columbia
This examination shall be made as
far as possible prior to September 1st
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
| dangerously injurious insects or dis
eases the certificates Of the officer max
ing such examination and finding snail
be issued to the owner or owners OF
such nursery stock a copy of which
certificate shall be attached to and ac-
company each carload, box, bale, or
package, and when SO attached and ac-
Icompanying shall operate to release all
such nursery stock from further in
spection, quarantine or restriction IN
interstate commerce"
This section is, if anything, more alb
surd than the import clause, and is
further proof that this bill is the pro-
duct of the wise heads that composed
the nurserymen's committee, and not
of the horticulturists and entomologlsts
that took part in framing the bill adopt
ed at the Washington Convention, and
that was indorsed by the convention OF
fruit-growers held in Sacramento last
November. If any one desires an ota-
cial copy of the bill that was drawn
up at that meeting, also the proceed
Iings of the convention, it can be had IN
bulletin form by applying to Professor
B. T. Galloway, Department of Agn-
culture, Washington, D. c.
This inspecting of nurseries and 1ssu-
ing blanket certificates to the proprle-
tors sounds well to people that have
no experience in such work. NO others
would urge such system. Make the
inspection at the point of destination,
and it will be better done, as the ofh-
GERS there are more interested in the
condition of the stock. At least this
has been California's experience. The
nurserymen of other States are more
careful now than formerly as to what
they send us, as result of this sys-
tenn I have been met by the friends
of this bill, with the argument that
this will not prevent the inspection OF
the stock when it reaches its destlna-
ton but it is to prevent interference
with it when in transit.
This is simply nonsense. There Is
not a horticultural inspector in Califor-
MIA but knows that he has no right, be-
cause of the interstate commerce law,
to in any way interfere with trees or
plants passing through California to
Oregon, or from Oregon to the East
ern States If inspection can be en-
forced at destination, then why not
make it the law, and not inject clause
into the bill that is already covered by
law? Such a system is double 1nspec-
ton. In my opinion, the object of this
certificate business is to prevent in
spection or quarantine at destination.
Section 4 makes it unlawful under
penalty not to exceed $500 nor less
than $500, or by imprisonment not to
exceed one year, or both, at the dis
creation of the court, for any person,
persons or corporation to deliver to any
Iother person, persons or corporation, or
to the postal service of the United
States Except for scientific purposes,
or by permission of the Secretary or
Horticulture for transportation from
one State or Territory or the District
of Columbia to any other State or Ter
ritory or the District Of Columbia, or
for expectation to any foreign country,
any trees plants, shrubs, vines or 9TH
er nursery stock which have not been
examined in accordance with the pro-
vision Of Section 3 Of this Act. *'
This section is evidently intended to
force compliance with the certificate
clause.
A new section has been added to the
amended bill. and is known as Section
s. If it was not a nurseryman's brain
that drafted that section, they certain
ly must have had some very consider
ate horticulturist at work in their inter
lests. 1t reads:
Section s. That the provisions of
this Act shall not apply to florists
greenhouse trees, shrubs, plants, bulbs,
and so forth, commonly known as flor
lists stock"
The passage Of such a section would
exclude from inspection and necessary
certificates plants that are greenhouse
trees and shrubs in nearly every State
in the Union, with the exception OF
California and the extreme Southern
States. Here a great many of such
grow to be almost forest trees. For
instance acacias are grown as florist
trees in the East, and every one knows
what kind of a tree they make with
us.
This bill as. presented decidedly ia
vors tree importers against the hort1-
cultural interests, and with my ex-
perience in such matters / believe such
a measure should be defeated, for L
doubt if it can be amended.
| TTTDGNENT AGAINST ALSIP,