New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-08
COME FROM F0REIGNLANDS
Rats and Undesirable Insects aboard
Shin.

peoples non-American ORIGIN but this nOn-Aner1-
can origin also applies to a great number OF ami
mails insects and plants. which, the same as hu-
man immigrants come 70 this country in all sorts
OF floating craft every day, and make this land
their future home. Uncle Sam IS always glad and
ready TO accord a hearty welcome to the Gesirabie
immigrant but he draws the line at criminals.
paupers contract laborers the insane and the
Chinese The Marine Hospital Service also draws
the line rats which arrive in this country with
every ship that touches American port Never
before in the history OF the United States Marine
Hospital Service has there been waged such de-
termlned warfare against the admission OF rats
into this country at the present time, With the
approach of the cold season. and since IL has been
fully established that rats are more dangerous
and prolific in carrying the most virulent diseases
than any other agent.
Rats inha0it nearly all vessels. whether bullt OF
wood or iron, and they come and 80 with the free-
dom Of passengers with tickets prepaid TO distant
ports Sometimes they become too numerous. linen
it IS that the professional ratcatchers have their
hands fun, chasing the rodents with ferrets and
dogs from part Of the snip 10 another, and the
sIaughter is great. But these spasmOdic attempts
to GEAR the ships of rats ike drops OF water
in the ocean. There seems TO be no appreciable
diminution in their numbers. and when the ship
warps up TO her pier and loads with another cargo
OF gram, she may carry in her hold as many
rodents as when nrst entered the harbor. This
the TACT that there is a regular migration
Of rats going on all the time.
Sailors not object to the presence OF rats on
smpDOard, inGeed. they consider them safe ship
mates and sure signs that the vessel is seawOrthy
anu not In Danger Of sinking. The sIghL OF the
rats asserting snip IS sUncent 10 discourage any
sanor nom sons on board Tor a trip. Dat, On the
OJHer ham,, many rdJS aboard SpOIl every JninS
Number nIahe them bod, ana instead OF staying
in the hoid wnere the cargo Is stored. they wan
appear III the sailors quarters ana even IN the
captains caDn. \ ship OyercroWded in this way
Strange experiences have been reIateG OF stow
always being driven from Their hiding pace in the
hoo Of tine shIp5 by the nIsHJly appearance or tne
rats in sucn numbers as TO threaten them with
company OF seVerai hundred ILqulsltlse IO0St1s;
almost as large as kittens, especially "nen the nold
sbIe terror reSeTsIy SEXES tAe stoWaway before
the ship is two days out. 1t is easier to face an
irate and ugly captain than the herce-eyed rodents
But rats are not by any means the only strange
shpmates that travel the on ships without the
There are many insects that migrate from one
quarter OF the globe to another BY means OF the
vessels which ply between distant ports indeed:
the spread OF nearly all kinds Of living creatures
nations Wihsed pests and blessings have been
steadily carried TO new countries by this means. and
Ing things in recent years has caused not a little
talk OF legislation against the admission of tropt-
thoroughly examined and quarantined.
ouitoes," the Yellow Fever institute Of the Bureau
OF Public Health. and Marine Hospital Servics at
which s, B. Grubbs, Passed Assistant Surgeon OF
evidence is pointing with more and more cearneSS
ting yellow fever nothing is of greater interest to
the quarantine officer than to decide 70 what ex-
Insects may be carried by vessels" The report
sells arriving at Gulf Quarantine Station from
stegomyia-infected ports, and says that Every
mosquitoes were present on board. and. If present.
tLler NaIS'y. M!ieIe ciG w. IlTy bj &C.
port. DR.. Grubbs says: From but one seasons
o0$ervatOns az sise bd d Fasf rcIciIIg
ions regarding the probability OF stegoInyla, IN
less. I think may conclude. first. that mos
quitoes can come aboard vessels under Iavora,3le
from shore: second, that stegOmyia be carried
GUiP States: third that they can Board vessel
lying at anchor half-nile or less from shore, be
aboard. and finally. that vessel moored short
low fever. our old beliefs to the contrary notw1th-
coH Dt 4"g was foowed BY flock of butterflies
which persstenty circled around the rigging Of the
Then the insects lighted the masts and decks
in the water or reached shore in safety. Some Of
the others crawled away in the cabins and hold OF
the ship; After a trip OF thirty days the VesSei
reached New-York and from thsir hiding place IN
flew ashore Thus entirely new species OF but
terfy was introduced into this country.
terfes is but a single Illustration OF how sometimes
ships bring into harbOrs desirable and undesr-
able immigrants. whose names are never entered
on the books of the company. The common cock
mean means h o sPg Te d9rb bug and
goes on ships almost freely as the rats The
two seem TO live together amicably, and they mon
opoze largely the hold Of the ships which carry
Grain carrying ships always have many insects
aboard. Common grain weevtls are transported IN
appearance of many new grain insects in this
country In the past twenty years Is attributed TO
IsrvF. Of the insects NAV he Hurled and no human
power could detect them The only safe way TO
prevent their Importation Is by fumgatiOn or by
boiling. The common smut and black rot Of our
grain cannot be destroyed in any other way. To
avoid spreading these pests, even In this country,
1t IS necessarv for the farmers TO soak the seed In
water brought nearly to the boiling point which
does not quite kill the germ OF life in the seed.
Tropical fruits common carriers of strange
admitted Ships engaged in fruit carrying from the
warm countries are frequently laden with miscela-
the punches of bananas there may be poisonous
TGptlles that nave trdveIlsd Ralt around the globe
fruit. they may be killed before harm can De
ashore and If the new country they have reached
proves cOngeIial to their growth and multiplication
spread in all directions. Poisonous snakes Of TIE
the shore {. ont in NewTOrk poisonous snakes have
hold Of some fruit steamer and in the warm sum
months they had found cougenial existence
The smaller insect pests which are not so easily
detected oy the PRIMARY eye frequently come into
the country by means OF imported fruits. Thus has
been introduced the scale. which has proved such
a costly enemy the orange and fruit groves
Moths Of q destructive nature CONSTANTLY come TO
our ports in the fruit ships. and their spread is
merely a matter of time ard opportunity. They
are shipmates that no trouble TO the sailors.
who are not even aware OF their presence on ship
board. but they are Costly TO the farmers and IN
habitauts of the lana where they become estab-
steamers and making rigid Investigation OF all
their products before they are landed has been ag-
Introduction Of obnox3us insect pests could be en-
passsnger might carry in his trunk micht prove
a single plant brought from South America was
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