The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-07-16
The Origin of Pest Legislation

The San Jose scale deserves credit
for one thing, if nothing else, and thai
is for bringing the agriculturists and
horticulturists of the country to a re-
alization of the necessity of having
what might be called insect legisla-
lation. Pest laws in many States were
born out of the the fear of fruit grow.
ers in the presence of the San Jose
scale.
This insect was first discovered IN
the East in Virginia during 1893 In
1894, it was found in Maryland. Both
of these infestations were traced to a
New Jersey nursery firm. A year
later it was found in other eastern
States and in nearly every case the
source Of infestation was one or two
New Jersey nurseries. Thus New
Jersey has the unfortunate honor of
being responsible for the spread of the
scale along the Atlantic seaboard. 1t
was introduced originally into New
Jersey from California on japanese
plums, California having obtained it
from North China upon the Towering
Chinese peach. In China, by the way,
the peach is commonly supposed to
have the mysterious power of driving
away evil spirits or keeping them at
a distance, and in Chinese and Japa
nese folklore arrows made of peach
tree wood are frequently used for the
purpose of piercing the otherwise in
vulnerable hearts of devils Unfortu
nately, its mysterious powers over evil
spirits were evidently never effective
against the San Jose scale. Shortly
after the seriousness of this pest was
forced upon the public, various States
passed laws requiring that all nursery
stock shipped into such States be pro.
yided with certificate of inspection,
and as time went on other States
adoupted means of protecting their
horticultural interests, until at presen.
every State has laws for the purpose
of controlling insects and plant dis
eases within its borders and for the
purpose of keeping out undesirable
pests. Some State laws are very dras-
tic while others are weak in certain
oints. Some of them are not en-
forced because the people do not be
lieve in them, and others are enforced
only partly. All of them, however, are
the outgrowth of a desire on the part
of the people to protect themselves
and their interests.
In New Jersey, the law providing for
the inspection of nurseries was enact
ed in 1898. In 1903, more complete
Legislation was secured, and this,
with supplementary laws in 1904 and
1911, constitutes the foundation of our
present inspection system. The work
in New Jersey was first attended with
difficulties There was a tendency
among some nurserymen to avoid the
laws requirements and sell, among
their neighbors at least, in defiance Of
it. Gradually, however, they realized
that the regulations were for their
benefit and were not restrictions, so
that at the present time there is per-
feet harmony between the nursery
men and officials enforcing the law,
and a desire and willingness on the
part of each to cooperate as fully ds
possible.
The Accomplishments of Pest Legs
Iation
Various benefits have been derived
by the different States under their
existing laws. Formerly the entomolo-
gist and the plant pathologist devoted
their entire attention to the study and
control If native species, but now their
attention is directed toward exclusion.