The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-28

HAoI1l-\u w, DcC. Co liz ell |
fort to procure national legislation to
keep out new and dangerous insect
pests or plant diseases which may be
brought in with imported nursery
stock is actively favored by the depart
mtnt of agriculture. A strong concert
ed effort is being made to array the
nursery trade of the country against
such legislation and put this important
industry in the attitude Of opposing
reasonably legislation, which is as
much for its own protection as it is
for the protection of fruit and forest
interests.
In view OF the evden, mlsunder
standing which is being broadly cir
culated i'll relation to the intent of the
proposed ACT and of its probable man
ner OF enforcement, and the ground
less fear that the secretary OF agricul
ture or his experts would take an
unreasonable attitude toward nurser
smen, the department has made a
statement which says IN part:
Practically all the European powers
have stringent plant inspection laws.
and, in the case of the United States
absolutely prohibit the entry Of nur-
sery stock. Apples and other Aneri-
can fruits ara admitted only when the
most rigid examination shows freedom
from insect inftstation. Canada and
other important British possessions
have similar protective legislation.
The United States is the only great
power without protection from the i'm
rcrtation Of insect infested or diseased
plants. and thus becomes a sort of
dumIing ground for European refuse
nursery ard ornamental stock. This
does not often apply to the importa-
tons OF the larger and reputable i'm
porting firms but does apply to the
poorly packed miscellaneous ornam2n-
+ tai and other stock imported by de-
partment stores of large cites or that
sent 10 this country to be sold under
the hammer by auctioneers for what
ever price may be obtained,
The immediate danger which led to
the recent effort to procure legislation
was the discovery. in 1909. of the
abundant importation and wide distri
button into the United States of nur
sery stock infested with brown-tal
moth nests and occasional egg masses
of the gypsy moth. During the years
! 1909 and 1910, such infested stock
was carried into twenty-five states,
covering the country from the Allan
tic seaboard to the Rocky mountains.
During the first of these years no less
than seven thousand winter nests Of
the brown-tail moth, containing APP
proximately three million larvae. We're
found in shipments into New York
state alone-seed material enough to
infast the whole United States within
a fed years.
During the second of these years
Gil of these nests were found on nur-
sery stock shipped into the state of
i Ohio. and a much larger number. APP
proximatcly the same as the year pre-
vious were again sent into New York.
Emaller numbers of these nests, pro
portioned to the amount of nursery
stock received, We're sent into other
states east of the Rocky mountains
during both of these years.
Fewer brOwn-tail moth nests were
received during the season just ended
1910-1D, owing to the agitation in
this country and more strict supervis
ion by foreign governments. These
winter nests are. however. still com
, ing in and the danger is now perhaps
'even greater, for the reason that as
infestation becomes more infrequent
a laxity of examination is likely to
result.
1t is scarcely necessary to comment
on the danger to this country from
the careless introduction and wide dis
tribution of gypsy and brown-tai
moths. In a limited district in New
England more than a million dollars
a year has been spent for long per
. iod in mere effort to control these