The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-11
EXCLUSION OF INSECT PESTS.

The exclusion OF insect pests is one
OF the principal duties of the Board OF
| Agriculture and Forestry. The law
permits the Board to prohibit entirely
the Importation of plants and fruit
from certain parts of the world or to
prohibit the Importation of certain arti-
cIes from any part of the world. either
absolutely or conditionally. Power is
also conferred to require quarantine,
inspection, fumigation or destruction if
necessary, of all vegetable imports. and
OF articles being sent between the is
lands.
Necessarily these precautions make
The Importation of plants and fruits
somewhat more difficult and expensive,
but the history of insect pests in Ha-
waii more than justifies all that is be-
ing done
1t is fact that with the exception
of the cane borer, almost every dan
gerous insect pest in Hawaii today,
has been imported within the last ten
years.
Recognizing the inconvenience and
difficulty of putting in force large
number of restrictions all at once, the
Board has progressed in its operations
one step at a time.
First, expert chronological inspec-
tors were appointed; blanks for appli-
cations for inspection and of certificates
of inspection, were prepared, rules were
formulated, notices were published and
copies of the rules and procedure mail
known importers. Although there was
some slight friction at first, the in
spection machinery is now running
smoothly, and already a number of
try, have been discovered and destroy
ed. From time to time, as information
has warranted it, the Board has passed
regulations prohibiting or regulating
the importation of various plants which
are subject to disease or destructive
parasites.
For example, sugar cane is subject to
many and serious diseases and pests,
and it's Importation is prohibited ex-
cept for seed, and through the Board,
in order that it may be exhaustively
quarantined and disinfected.
The importation of pineapples, ba-
nanas and cocoa plants from the South
Seas and coffee plants from anywhere,
has been prohibited. |
In each case this action is based |
upon the fact that diseases dangerous |
to these plants are known to exist in |
the prohibited sections.
The Board has now taken one more
the inspection of plants and
fruit being shipped between the islands
No sugar cane is allowed to be shipped /
from one island to another, until it
has first been sent to Honolulu, inspect
ed by the agent of the Board and
certificate issued that it is clean and
healthy
All fruit and plants shipped from
10 the Olner lSianuS must
frst be inspected The rule has not
yet been extended to fruit and plants
coming to Honolulu from the other
Stands, partly because the inspecting
'orce is not yet large enough to cope
With the work to be done, and partly
because all importations of plants be-
ng now confined to Honolulu, the dan {
ger is greater of pests getting into I
Honolulu and being sent thence to the
'ther islands, than of their coming from
he outer districts to Honolulu. b
The Board is handling a difficult sub
ect with intelligence and discretion,
md should receive the hearty support
# the community