The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-06-19
FRUIT PESTS
Continued from page nine.l


ope and into England, where it is
causing great alarm. 1t has also es-
tabished itself in Newfoundland, and
it is especially from this source that
the danger to the United States comes.
There is no known remedy for the dis
ease, and its existence in the soil prac-
tically puts an end to potato culture.
Its introduction into the United States
would result in the loss of millions OF
dollars annually.
THE other disease is tse "white-pine
blister-rust,' which has caused enor-
nous losses in Europe, particularly to
nursery stock This disease has, dur
ing the last year or two, been imported
on nursery stock into a good many of
our states and into the province of On
tario, Canada. Earnest effort has been
made to stamp it out at these points
Of introduction, and it is hoped that
this work has been successful. If this
disease becomes established in this
country it will result in enormous
losses in our pine forests.
Both of these diseases are exam
pies of dangers which can be prevent
ed only by an absolute quarantining
of the infected foreign districts, so far
as impoTtations theTefrom to this coun-
try of these particular products are
concerned. In other words, these dis
eases are often not discoverable by
inspection, and cannot be destroyed by
fumigation. The pine disease may be
present in the pine for two or three
years before giving any visible demon
stration. The potato-tuber disease may
be in imported potatoes and similarly
escape detection.
Efforts to Secure Legislation.
"The necessity for a national quar-
antine against foreign insect pests
and plant diseases has long been rec
ognized, and during the last fourteen
years, especially, a strong continued
effort has been made to secure such
legislation. This effort has been
blocked very largely by a small body
of importing nurserymen, who, care
less of the consequences to the coun-
try at large, feared some slight check
on freedom of their operations. The
main body of nurserymen have inter-
ests identical with the fruit growers
and are in favor of protective legisla-
ton, and The National Nurseryman,
the principal organ of the nursery
trade of this country, has taken posi-
tive stand in support of such legisla.
ton.
'"The entire value of the imported
nursery stock, as declared at customs
which is thus menacing the safety OF
this country, is about $35O,OOO annually
scarcely more than the government
is now appropriating to assist in the
effort at the control of the gypsy moth
alone in New England.
Some of this imported stock is of
ornamentals neither new nor pecul-
lar, and is merely brought in because
of cheaper production abroad. A large
percentage of it is Seeding apple,
pear, cherry, plum, and ounce stock.
| 1t is held by importing nurserymen
that particularly the cherry, plum and
ounce stock is better grown abroad
than at home. Nevertheless, until re-
Gently all such stock was homegrown,
and probably the bulk of the apple
Seeding stock is still homegrown. AG-
hitting the necessity Of the impcrta-
ton OF some Seeding stock. it is all
the more desirable to have means to
thor u6hly inspect, and, if necessary,
quarantine such stock.
"The first concerted effort to obtain
national quarantine and inspection
law was due to the introduction in the
East on nursery stock of the San Jose
scale in the early 90's. The failure
to reach an agreement as to suitable
legislation among the nurserymen,
fruit growers and entomologists pre-
vented anything coming from this eff
fort, although several bills were in
troduced in Congress from time to
time. In the meanwhile the San Jose
scale became SO widely distributed by
transportation on infested nursery
stock that quarantine against this in
sect was no longer practicable, and
the country is now being taxed, and
probably will be for all time, many
millions of dollars annually in conse-
quence of the absence of any law UNI
der which strong hold could have been
taken of this danger at the outset.
Criminal careIessness.
"The present effort to secure legis,
lation resulted from the discovery two