Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-10-11
FIGHT PLANT PEST.
Move to Save Nursery Stock BY
Quarantine.
Secretary Of Agriculture Authorizsd to
Quarantine Any state, Territory,
or District known to Be
Infected.

| sssSSsSSs
Washington-By an act Of congress,
approved by the president on August
20. entitled AN act to regulate the
importation of nursery stock and 9TH
er plants and plant products" ETC..
the secretary Of agriculture 10 author
lied and directed to quarantine any
state. or any portion thereof, when no
shall determine the fact that . dan
gerous plant disease or insect infesta-
ton new or not therefore widely prev
alent in the United States. exists In
such state, territory or district. Be-
fore promulgating his determination
that it il necessary to institute quar-
antine, he shall give . public hearing.
Ut which any interested party may APP
pear and be heard either In person or
by attorney. ..|-"
The secretary of agriculture is furth-
er directed to prohibit the importation
into the United States OF any class Of
nursery stock. fruits. vegetables.
roots, etc, whenever he shall deter
mine that such prohibition is neces-
sary to prevent the Introduction into
the United States of any tree, plant, or
fruit disease, or insect infestation.
new or not widely prevalent within
the United States. Before issuing his
proclamation to this effect he Ia d.
rected, as in the case of quarantine
against a state. to give a public hear
ing to any interested parties who may
wish to appear in person or by at
torney.
There is imminent danger Of the in
PRODUCTION into the United States ut
the present time Of two dangerous
plant diseases and one insect known
to cause great damage in other coun-
tries. One fungus disease. the white
pine blister rust, Injuries four impor-
tant species Of pine In practically all
European countries.
1t is fungus disease and would be
most undesirable importation into
the United States, az it Is liable to be
imported nursery stock. 1t would
cause enormous damage to coniferous
forests.
Another fungus disease which is q
menace to American agriculture is tho
potato disease known as potato wart,
potato canker, black scab. ETC., caused
by fungus which, in advanced stages
of the disease, utilizes every particle
Of food in the tuber and reduces it to
Z brownish black soft mass of very
unpleasant putriflcative odor. The dfs-
ease occurs in many parts OF Europe
and in several islands not far from
the Atlantic coast of the United
States.
The menacing insect pest is the
Mediterranean fruit fly, an insect
which is tolerably we'll described by
its name, and which Ia flow known to
be established in the Hawaiian is
lands. Its introduction into the Unit
ed States from the territory of Ha-
wall would be . calamity Of the first
Importance to fruit growers. Califor-
mia, because of this insect. now quar-
antines against q long list Of fruits
and vegetables from Hawaii. including
oranges, Chinese plums, prtckly pears,
Damson plums, peaches, figs, tomatoes,
grapes, sQuashes. and large num-
Der OF less well-known fruits and vege-
tables. Other Pacific coast states,
however, have no such quarantine. and
the introduction OF the insect through
ports in those states is possible and
perhaps imminent. It Is also found
in Queensland, New South Wales, and
West Australia.
To prevent these undesirable immi
grants from entering the United
States, the secretary Of agriculture
proposes to exercise the power vested
in him by the new law and declare
q quarantine against the territory of
Hawaii in the case of the Mediterrane-
In fruit fly, and also to prohibit the
Importation from Great Britain,
Farnce, Belgium. Holland, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden. Russia, Germany,
Austria. Switzerland and Italy Of four
species Of pines and their horticul.
tural forms liable to introduce the
white blister rust, namely white pine,
western white pine and stone or GEM
brian pine.
The importation of potatoes that
may bring the potato wart disease
from Newfoundland and the islands OF
st. Pierre and Miquelon, and from
Great Britain, including England,
Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and from
Germany and Australia Hungary will
also be prohibited.
In compliance with the law, how
ever, he will before issuing his quar-
antine proclamations, give public
hearings to persons interested who
may appear In person or by attorney,
or submit their views in writing. An
nouncement is hereby made that these
hearings will be held as follows:
On the white pine blister rust, Sep
tsmber 16, 1912.
On the Mediterranean fruit fly, Sep
TENDER IS, 1912.
On the potato wart disease. Septem-
Der 20, 1912.
WHY HE QUIT CONGRESS.