The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-08
ENIOMOL OGlST IS
READY FOR PEST
ON GUARD AGAINST DREADED
SAN JOSE SCALE.
Importation Of Nursery Stock from the
South Causes Unusual Vigilance
Minnesota Nurseries Are Reported
Prosperous and Free from Dangerous
Insects, O..


annually to nurserymen and orchardists
less fortunately situated than those In
Minnesota. ....<..sa. .s...s.. !,
1.-THE dreaded scale has not appeared
and it is hoped will be kept out of Min
nesota for a long time to come said
Professor Washburn today: sl note
with some apprehension, however, that
one or more firms as far south as Ten
nessee are shipping nursery stock to
some Minnesota dealer or dealers. Now,
in the first place, southern grown stock
is not hardy here, and secondly. that
section has much more serious list of
pests to contend with than Minnesota,
among them, the dreaded scale. This
pest we must keep out, even II there IS
possibility of our severe weather
keeping it down if it should gain foot
hold To be sure, these states that |
are so afflicted are thoroly inspected for |
the most part, and yet even with vigi- |
lance, noxious insect or it's eggs may |
escape the eye of the inspector and find
it's way on stock where it is not wanted.
A case of this kind has come to our no
tice during the past year in the instance
of the Willow borer, d beetle introduced
from Europe, which has obtained foot
hold in some Of the eastern States and
which found it's way here in a consign-
ment Of stock, altho from state thoro-
ly inspected. ..
Nu1StIy IuSpSCG4OAls
GAS you are probably aware, the law
directs that the state entomologist in
spect and grant certificates, where al
lowed. to nurseries that ship out Of the
state, in order to comply with the laws
of other states, and also inspect nur-
series whose business is confined to our
state when requested to do so by the
owners, or when there is any reason to
suspect the presence of a dangerous in
sect pest or plant disease. We have
also a law which forbids the entrance Of
other states without a similar certifi-
cate from the proper officer in the state
from which the stock comes. We have
inspected about fifty nurseries this
year out Of seventy-fve located within
our boundaries. These nurseries have
free from dangerous insects and conta-
gious diseases.
"The nurserymen of Minnesota are,
for the most part, doing a good bust
ness-some Of them doing wonderfully
well for a section as far north as this, "a
continued Professor Washburn. FThis
is a,.great compliment to Minnesota s
progress in horti culture. We are finding
that we can raise much good fruit,
more fruit and better fruit than we
ever dreamed Of, and as we continue
to grow along these lines, the nursery:
business in this stat e will grow in pro-
portion. I say the business is now good;
thaf@is true, and4yet it must vary with
the season. "a prosperous year with the
farmers means abundant sales and sure
pay for the 'nurserymen, and a hard
season, the contrary Then, too, we must
fifteen or twenty years, we may meet
with dry fall and severe, open W in
ter, and lose trees, which will discour-
age people for while from buying, but
calami ties of various sorts are met
with in any state. No fruit growing
state, not even the most highly favored,
exists without a. drawback of some
sort, and Minnesota seems to be more
favored really than some other sec
lions which have the reputation of fruit
growing sections well established.
Statesmen INSCRIPTIONS.
"Nurserymen of Minnesota. are, as a
whole, courteous, big-hearted + and
square. It must be- admitted, however,
that statesmen sometimes cannot be thus
complimented:> I regret to: say that there
are in the field unscrupulous statesmen,
and other innocent dealers, but actually
jeopardize the nursery business as a
whole by the grossest misrepresenta-
tons Facts of this kind are constantly
coming to my attention, and it is some.
thing which needs correction. Of
COuIsc, u Is uotGuld1 Oh Ilo part Oh any
agent to make as many and big, sales
as possible, and undoubtedly an honest
man is sorely tempted frequently to
stretch the truth a little; nevertheless
this is no excuse for a salesman run
ming down the stock Of some rival firm
telling farmer that trees which show
the fire blight are no good, and that he
G sell him trees. which will not be
tl,us affected and that he can sell
people trees which will bear the second
season, and SO on.
IA farmer, in his relation to the
agent, is almost in the same predica
ment that man is who goes into the
dentists chair. He cannot tell how
many cavities there are in his teeth
he has to rely entirely upon the hon
esty, of the dentist; an unscrupulous
dentist can and probably does impose
represented to be certain variety, but
he buys it on faith. He may not know
for four or five years, or even Longer
than that, as to whether his tree i!
bearing true to name, or whether Of
not he has been imposed upon AS vol
for agents to trick their patrons. For
tunately, however, the tricksters ar,
sooner or later found out and thei
business reputation is ruined. The en-
ttomo1ogist has no option regarding Ger
tifcates. .J.
Should Be Remedied.
"a man may be perfectly unscrup
ulous, may have only a small amour
of stock on a piece Of rented ground
and may do all of his business buyin,
and selling, possibly purchasing som
I of his trees from undesirable localities
and yet if the few trees which he ha
on the rented ground are owned b.
him, and are free from pests, the entc
mologist has to give him a certificate
This evil, it would appear, should, i
some way, be corrected by. law, no
only for the sake of the entomologist
reputation, whose name may appear o
the labels placed upon worthless tree,
! appearing as a guarantees that they ar
good, and also for the sake of the nurs
4 cry business, which is a. good one, Dc
serving patronage at the hands Of on
citizens. The entomologist and his as
sistant number among the nurseryme
some Of their ,warmest and most dt
lightful friends, made along the line
of this work.