Evening star., 1924-01-13
Present Chief f
Has Seen W ork
Grow From Three
Workers and $1,000
a Year to 500 En-
ployes, of Whom
400 Are Experts,
With Annual Ap-
pr o'p ri a tion of
Nearly Two Mil
lion Dollars.

l.
of the entomologists is the federal
inspection service that has been es-
tablished to prevent the incoming OF
new pests. At every important port
Of entry in the United States Uncle
Sam now maintains efficient police
men, who inspect important mate
rials, and even the baggage of incom-
ing passengers, to prevent the snug
Cling in Of diseased fruits or plants
which may 1eopardize one or another
OF our economic crops
Uncle Sam, through the federal
horticultural board, regularly issues
schedules and quarantine regulations
which make IT unlawful to introduce
fruit. seed, plants. cuttings or roots
of infested or infected plants from
foreign lands where certain objec-
tionable plant diseases prevail. The
duty of the port inspectors is to see
that these regulations are obeyed.
= r
T ATTERLY, at the port of New
York, a shipment of two barrels
was examined. The importer who
packed the goods swore that the ship
ment contained no yanns, sweet pota-
toes or sugar cane, all of which were
forbidden entry to our shores because
they may carry disease. Notwith-
found quantities of prohibited fruit
and agricultural crops, such as yanls,
sugar cane. bananas and cocoanuts.
In the shipment. There was wood
en- partition in one Of the barrels
which also contained twelve quarts
Of spirituous liquor.
The importer was fined and the pro-
hibited contraband destroyed. Then
the national inspectors turned to
other sleuthins examinations.
In an importation from Brazil they
found orchids. various tree seeds and
fifty packages of cotton seed. The
cotton seed was found TO be infested
with the pink boil worm. 1t was in
tended for planting in the cotton zone
Gated and destroyed.
Still another find was made in
the baggage Of an incoming alien
from Central America. Desiring TO
bring with him some Of his cherished
avocados and knowing that the Gus
toms authorities would destroy such
fruits IL they found them, the anna
teur smuggler concealed the avo-
cados in the center OF loaves or
bread That however, was an old
trick which the inspectors had de-
tected many times before. The avo-
cados were discovered and destroyed.
Some Of the most costly plant
pirates which now are parasitic on
American agriculture have been in
troduced from abroad in trivial snip
ments of imported materials.
The notorious Japanese beetle
pest which is uncontrollable and
which is yearly extending It's do
main in America-reached our shores
In shipment Of Japanese iris re-
ceived before the establishment OF
the federal horticultural board and
San jose scale, which costs US
more than s1o,0o0,ooo a year in toll
and tribute. was introduced from
China in a shipment of Towering
peaches about four decades ago.
Citrus canker, another unwelcome
guest from Japan, has since its ar
rival in the United States destroyed
millions of dollars worth Of citrus
fruit.
Flowering cherry trees from Japan
brought the oriental fruit worm to
our shores.
From Germany came the pine biis-
ter rust a disease which threatens
the ultimate extinction Of our white
pine forests that now arc valued at
$516.75o, 900.
The chestnut blight. introduced
from the orient, has already killed
one-haif OF the American stand Of
chestnut trees and threatens the
abolition of those that remain.
The brown-tail moth came 70
America in a shipment OF roses from
Holland.
It was in 1898 that DR.. Howard
first began to urge Congress to es-
tablish the federal horticultural
board. Our national legislators bick
cred and dilly-dallied along until
1912 before they finally enacted
Qargely because OF the splendid
work of DR.. c. l. Marlatt of the bu-
reau Of entomology and now chief
Of the federal horticultural board)
the essential laws to ratify port OF
entry inspection and the protection
of our shores against obnoxious
foreign plant diseases.
In the interim the alfalfa weevil,
the European corn borer, the Japa-
ness beetle and a number of other
very destructive pests as well as
suoh plant diseases as pine blister
rust and potato wart were intro
duced here. 1t now costs US more
than $4,000. 100000 a year to pay the
board bill Of these undesirable
aliens that came to America as plant
immigrants or. derelicts. and will
probably always be legion in this
country as result of their rights
OF sauatter. sovereignty. They con-
sigt Of diseases and parasitic activ-