The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-04-28
TO BAR TWO PESTS
QUARANTINE AGAINST MOST HA-
WAiiAN FRUITS, NUTS AND
VEGETABLES.
SEVERE PENALTY is FIXED
Department of Agriculture Seeks to
Keep Out Melon Fly and MedIter-
ranean Fruit Fly That Have
Proved Destructive.


Proved Destructive.
Washington - Anyone who at.
tempts after May 1 to bring into the
United States certain Hawaiian
fruits, nuts and vegetables will face
a penalty of $500 fine or imprison-
ment for a year or both A new or
der issued by the department of agri-
culture provides this punishment for
attempts to violate the quarantine de
clared in 1912, under the plants quar-
antine act, against Hawaiian products
which might introduce into the United
States two dangerous pests, the melon
fly and the Mediterranean fruit fly.
Under the new regulations impor-
tatfons of bananas and pineapples are
permitted under stringent conditions
of inspection and certification. Prac-
tically all other fruits and such veg
etables as tomatoes, squashes, green
peppers and string beans are abso-
lutely excluded. Circulars are to be
distributed on all incoming steamships
warning passengers of the quarantine
and the reason for it.
Destroy Fruit Industry.
Hitherto the United States has for
tunately been free from both the
melon fly and the Mediterranean
fruit fly. The latter in particular has
proved a source Of great loss, prac-
tically putting an end to the fruit in
dustry wherever it has obtained a
good foothold. The Bermuda peach
crop, for instance, Is now thing
of the past. The fly Is believed to
have originated on the west coast of
Africa, its name being due to the
great damage it did after it had been
carried to the Mediterranean. 1t also
spread to Bermuda, South Africa, Aus
tralia and New Zealand, whence it
was carried in ships cargoes to Ha-
wall In all probability the fly would
be in California today If it were not
for the fact that no fruit is grown
in the immediate vicinity of San Fran
cisco. The great danger is that some
traveller may unknowingly bring with
him pest-infected fruit, nuts or veg
region favorable for its spread.
Commercially the quarantine will
not seriously interfere with Hawaiian
Industries. Bananas and pineapples,
the only fruits which are grown in the
island in commercial quantities, do
not as a rule carry the infection.
When properly inspected and packed
in accordance with the departments
regulations, they will, therefore, be
allowed admission Other fruits, such
as alligator pears, Chinese ink Der
ries, figs, guavas, papayas, etc, are
far more dangerous. They have, how
ever, little commercial importance,
Uncle Sans Fruit Trade.
More than half a billion dollars
worth Of fruits ard nuts passed into
and out Of domestic ports during the
last decade, 365, 100000 being imports
and 220,O00.0OO exports. The trade
in each direction has about doubled in
the last decade, imports having risen
from s24,5OO,0O0 to s48,750,OOO and ex-
ports from $19.750,000 to s33, 750 900
In the period from 1903 to 1913.
The opening months of 1914 show,
according to statistics compiled by
the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce, increased imports and di-
minished exports of fruits and nuts as
compared with January and February
of last year. Imports during the first
two months of this year aggregated
over six million dollars value, or 20
per cent more than those for a like
period of 1918, while exports amount
ed to 100000, or about thirty per
cent less than a year ago. The sharp
decrease in exports reflects the short
age in crops during 1913 on the Pa
cific coast
Our domestic food supply was sup.
plemented last year by $32,000,000
worth of fruits and $t6,O00,000 worth
of nuts from foreign countries and
in addition, over four million dollars
worth of fruits and nuts from Hawaii
and $2,500,O0O worth from Porto Rico
A comparatively small number OF
countries supply most of the fruits
and nuts, other than those of domes-
tic production. consumed in the United
States. Bananas are exclusively from
American countries, chiefly the Brit
ish West Indies and Central America
Most of the lemons come from Sicily
the dates from Asiatic Turkey, cur
rants from Greece, and figs from q
small strip of land near Smyrna. We
get the English walnut from France
almonds and filberts from Spain and
Italy, cream nuts from Brazil and pea
nuts from Japan. Spain and China