El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-08

Great Lakes to Gulf For that reason,
there IS a growing demand for effect
i've federal legislation providing for
the inspection of nursery stock and in
sects, as well as for REIMBURSEMENT of
customs tariffs and transportation
charges, in the interest of encOura ging
the nursery business.
Naturally, there is division in the
ranks OF the nurserymen as to the wis
dom OF measures proposed There is a
party which fights under the slogan
let us alone, which deplOres what it
calls the agitation of the state ento-
molOgistS", and which actively opposes
the proposed federal uniform inspec-
ton legislation.
The members of this faction put
forth the argument that French and
other foreign producers Of nurserx
stock Will begin TO discriminate against
American buyers, and will demand pay
ment in advance of shipment, unless the
agitation is stopped at once.
Disease Spreads Rapidly.
Other prominent murserymen have no
patience with this argument. An in
stance of the so called agitation" will
illustrate the position of the nursery
men who advocate the uniform inspec-
tion laws.
The New York state authorities last
year informed the federal department
Of agriculture that the destructive
brawn-tailed moth had been discovered
in shipment of seedlings received
from France. Later, colonies of this
same pernicious insect were found in
Ohio on seedlings imported from the
same part of France. It was found that
800 shipments of these seedlings had
been made, destined to points divided
among 50 states. In 10 Of these states
nests of the brown-tailed moth were
found. This illustrates how quickly a
destructive insect pest may be distrib
uted throughout the country under
modern conditions Of commerce. These
shipments were traced by the voluntary
cooperation Of the federal and state
governments and the principal rail-
road companies.
Quarantine Inspection Urged.
The lesson taught by this incident,
according to the progressive nursery
men and government authorities, is
that there is dire need Of a federal
law which will prohibit the importa-
ton or interstate transportation of dis
eased Or affected nursery stock or
of pernicious insects.
To make this law effective. it is pro-
posed to establish a system Of quaran-
tine inspection which would stop at
the ports such impOrtations as the one
mentioned
Hawaii an Example.
The rigid plant quarantine enforced
in Hawaii is an example of what is pro-
posed for the mainland of the United
States. Hawaii has no pernicious plant,
insect or animal, and no snakes of any
kind. The Hawaiian soil is very hos
pitable to plants of foreign origin.
Almost every one of its beautiful
Towering trees and plants, and nearly
oil Of %ra o-i+s
so luxuriously in these mid Pacific
islands, were introduced by the Amer
lean missionaries from abroad Hon
Olulu once was riot of roses, but then
came a little insect from Japan and
now the roses are no more.
The Hawaiian legislature did not
need to learn its lesson but once.
rigid quarantine was established and
the Importation into Hawaii Of any live
plant, or Of anything which may be the
host of a perniciOus insect, or OF a
snake, is permitted only under the re-
strictions of thorough system of in
Spection- Live plants are kept In quar-
antine until their high character has
been proved beyond a doubt.
Stringent Methods In British Columbia
The province Of British Columbia
IS more advanced in the business of
government supervision of nursery
n
lean continent. or, indeed, of the En-
glfsh speaking world. A few weeks
ago. the provincial government DESTROY
ed diseased and insect laden trees TO the
number of 3G,o0O, all of which had
been culled from shipments to British
Columbia during the previous six
months.
The trees destroyed came from all
parts OF the United States, from cas-
tern Canadian provinces, Germany.
France, Belgium. Holland, Great Brit
ain and Japan The 10000 trees de-
stroyed were selected from a total Of
a little more than a million trees which
had been shipped into the province.
Every shipment, under the law. went
first to the inspectors. Sometimes.
whole consignments were rejected.
while in other cases less than one per
cent of the trees were rejected Con
signments of fruit trees are treated in
the same way as trees.
1t is not probable that the United
States will enact federal laws so rigid
as those of Hawaii or British Column
bta- But il is a distinctivelv encour-
aging sign of the times that the Ameri-
can nurserymen. meeting in Denver
are united in their desire to assist in
the correction of evils in their own
business. even at great cost TO them
selves. They may differ as 10 wavs and
means, but they are united as to the
end most TO be desired
Tomorrow--The Match Industry