The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-02-17
FOR fruit
INSPECTION
NEW LAW IS STRINGENT ONE
Legislature Will Probably Eliminate
Necessity OF Commissioner Be-
ing College Graduate.

ington, a new bill having been in
troduced in the legislature at Olym-
pia, amended to some slight extent,
approved by fruit growers of all Sec
tions Of the state and will be passed
with few other changes. One Of
the amendments that will carry, ac-
cording to predictions from Olympia,
is that providing that the state hor-
ticultural commissioner must be a
college graduate. The legislators do
not deem this essential, and their
opinion is supported by the belief Of
many growers.
The law as drawn, was recommend
ed BY the Washington State Horticul-
tural society and by horticultural in
stitutes all over the state. Fruit
growers and nurserymen of Washing
ton are in Olympia working for the
passage OF the bill, and the following
representative fruit growers have ap-
proved the measure: M. Koran, We
natchee; W. NJ. Richards, North Yak
ina; e. G. Burlingame, Walla Wal
la; c. A. Tonneson, Tacoma; A. Eek
ert, Detroit; A. w. Mcdonald, Top
penish, and John A. Stewart, Chris
topher.
The new law provides that the
state commissioner of horticulture
must be graduate OF an agricultural
college. and the new bill has been
amended to read that his office shall
be in Tacoma instead of Kennewick
as the first bill proposed. The office
of district horticultural inspector is
created and "a new districts arrang-
ed. Each of the districts is to be
provided with district Inspector
who is to be appointed by the state
commissioner of horticulture. A sal
airy of $500 a year is allowed to dis
trict inspectors.
District inspectors are empowered
to hold institutes for the discussion
Of horticultural subjects; they must
inspect orchards and nurseries, and
require the disinfection of trees in
fected with pests; they must prevent
the shipping and sale of infected
fruit except where it is to be used in
the manufacture of byproducts.
Each nursery man doing business
in the state is required to secure a
yearly license on payment of fee
of IS. He must file bond of $1,000
as a guarantee that he will comply
with the horticultural laws of Wash
ington and to guarantee that his trees
shall be true to name.
The state commissioner of horti-
culture is to issue bulletins descrip-
tive Of diseases injurious to trees.
and tree owners are required to keep
their trees healthy. District inspec-
tors are empowered to enter the
premises of a tree owner at any time
to see if the law is complied with.
They have the right to enter places
where fruits and trees are stored and
destroy infected portions if the own
er fails to do so upon proper notice.
The cost of such disinfection or de-
struction becomes lien upon tho
property Of the owner.
Firms shipping fruit into the state
must mail a notice of the fact to the
state commissioner of horticulture,
in order that the stock may be in
spected as it enters. Agents of trans
portatiOn companies also must noti-
fly the state commissioner on arrival
of trees.
The bill provides that a district
horticultural inspectors institute
must be held annually at the state
college.
Fruit trees must be sprayed once
annually with preparation whose
formula is prescribed by the state
commissioner.
Fruit grown in the state shall,
when offered for sale, have marked
on the package the name and variety
of the fruit, the name of the grower,
and the number of pieces in he pack
age.
Nurserymen who falsely represent
stock are liable to fine Of from $50
to 5000.
A district horticultural fund.- is
created to be handled by the state
treasurer. The fund is to be created
by a tax levied by the county CON-
missioners, but in the ensuing year
the legislature is asked to appropriate
sufficient moneys to pay the expenses
of the commissioner and his assist
ants
All other horticultural laws are re-
pealed by the bill, which carries an
emergency clause.