The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-19

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SUGGESTIONS INVITED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ON PROPOSED PRECAUTIONS
AGAINST PINK BOIL WORM.

Washington, ID. e., April "a
public conference on the restrictions
which the department of agriculture
proposes to place upon the admission
of foreign cotton lint will be held at
the department here at 1000 o'clock
on April 20. The purpose of these re-
strictions is to protect the country
against the possibility OF the pink boil
worm finding its way into the cotton
fields. A report was issued in Janu-
ary of this year, outlining the course
of action that the department pro-
posed to take, and now copies of the
prospective regulations have been sent
out to persons interested in the sub
ject, with a request for suggestions
or criticisms.
Under the proposed plan, permits
for the admission of foreign cotton
lint must be obtained for all imports.
Boston, New York, San Francisco,
and Seattle are at the present time
designated as ports of entry for such
cotton, but it is possible that other
ports may be added to this list from
time to time. Application blanks for
these permits are provided for in the
regulations and all applicants mut
state the locality where the cotton
was grown, the year of growth, the
port from which it is being shipped,
and the person in the United States
to whom it is consigned.
For the remainder of this year no
other material restrictions are placed
upon the importation of cotton, but
after January l, 1916, the regulations
provide that all cotton must be dis
infected under the supervision of an
inspector of the department of agri-
culture before it can be moved from
the port of entry. The reason for
te delay in putting this requirement
into practice is the necessity of de-
work. In the case of imoprts from
countries which maintain cotton in
spection and are able to certify that
| the imports are free from injurious
diseases and pests, disinfection will
not be required.
In addition to securing a permit for
the entry of cotton, shippers must
notify the department of agriculture
of the arrival of all imports and of
shipments of the cotton from the
port of entry to the consignee. Fur
thermOre, a license must be obtained
in order to enable the consignee to
use the cotton. He must agree to allow
the department to inspect his factory
or mill, to store the imported cotton
in insect-proof, screened warehouses,
and to observe whatever other meas
ures may be prescribed by the gov
ernment to prevent the spread of in
fection. Moreover, the holder of such
license cannot make subsequent ship
ment of the cotton to any one except
another license holder.
These regulations are the result of
careful study of the danger of seeds
containing the pink boil worm coming
into the country with the lint Many
of the cotton mills in the south are
so close to cotton fields that the pest
might easily find its way to them
through some such medium as picker
waste. Where the pink boil worm
has established itself it has been
found to be one of the most destruct-
i've of cotton pests and in consequence
the department is determined to take
every possible precaution against its
entry into this country.