Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05
U. S. Agents Searching for
Japanese Beetle, Barricade
D. C. Borders.
PERMIT TO TAKE BLOOMS
FROM CITY is REQUIRED
Citizens Protest Action Because of
Failure to Give Proper
Warning.

Hundreds OF disappointed and angry
residents Of nearby Maryland and Fair
fax County, Va, were turned back at
the District line yesterday when they
attempted to carry home Easter plants
in violation Of the japanese beetle
quarantine.
Uniformed agents of the plant quar-
antine and control administration of
the Department of Agriculture guarded
the principal thoroughfares and rigidly
enforced the quarantine for the first
time this year.
1t was explained at the Agricultural
Department that the quarantine has
been in effect since November /, but
that with the exception of brief period
during the Christmas season it has not
been enforced
The ban affects transportation of
vegetation with roots and soil or of soil
from the District, Arlington County and
Alexandria City, which are classed in
the generally infected area. into nom
infected territory, Montgomery, Prince
Georges and Fairfax Counties are placed
in the non-infected classification.
Few Knew Of Restrictions.
The strict enforcement Of the quaran-
tine commenced Friday afternoon and
was aimed primarily at persons carry
ing Easter plants. No notification was
given the public of the change in policy
and as a result scarcely one in a hun
dred suburban residents attempting to
take home plants purchased from Wash
ington florists was armed with the
certificate Of inspection required by the
Department Of Agriculture agents.
All florists in the infected area had
been notified by the Department of the
quarantine ana most of the large down.
town stores had been given clean bill
of health with authority to issue certi-
fcates Of inspection to their customers.
This had not been done, however, by
the florists in the great majority of
cases. So far as is evidenced by the
records of the border inspectors only
those few persons who had previous
knowledge of the quarantine and re-
quested a certificate were issued the
required paper by the florist.
Failure Of florists to inquire il the
plants purchased were to be taken from
the District and the resultant refusal
to purchasers of entrance to non-in-
fected territory caused a wave OF pro-
test and many persons returned the
plants and demanded that their money
be refunded. In most cases the stores
complied with the request.
and flowers for the Easter season had
not been inspected by agents OF the
Agricultural Department and conse-
Quently were unable to issue the proper
certificates. Customers Of these were
the greatest sufferers.
AS an example of the proportion of
private motorists with certificates. the
record of the inspector at Wisconsin
avenue and the District Line showed
l. -1I
ficate among all those who were stopped
both Friday and yesterday.
The inspector at Chevy Chase Circle
on Connecticut avenue reported that
three certificates were presented TO him
by private individuals.
Florists delivery trucks, on the other
hand, were armed with the proper certi-
fication and as a result were accorded
free passage.
Four Courses Open.
When a motorist or pedestrian is
stopped by border inspector he is faced
with four courses. He may leave the
plant with the inspector and continue
to his destination; return the plant to
vendor and receive certificate or his
money back; take the plant to the Japa-
nese Beetle section of the Department
of Agriculture at Twelfth and B streets
ana nave IL inspected ana CeTIlIleQ, OF
he may refuse to obey the orders of the
border guard and take the contraband
plant into the non-infected area.
If he chooses the last named his name
and tag number is reported to head
quarters of the Baltimore division of the
plant quarantine and control admins
tration as a violator of the quarantine
and he may be prosecuted and, upon
conviction, fined $500, sentenced to
year in jail or both.
Three persons were reported for Vio-
lations by the inspectors in Montgomery
County. One was a woman who said
she was taking the plant to her mother
who was at the point of death. The
two others failed to comply with the
quarantine without giving their reasons.
One man carrying a plant en- route to
Rockville to obtain a marriage license
almost missed reaching the court house
before closing time at noon by reason
Of the delay of inspection.
How long the strict enforcement of
the quarantine will last has not been
determined. It was said, however, that
it probably will continue through the
entire Spring.