the San José scale is present, in or near at least 25 nurseries. In some cases it is on orchard or other trees among which the stock is planted; in others it is on adjoining premises. So long as it is not present on the nursery stock, however, the inspectors have no power, except in an advisory capacity, the law applying only to nursery stock itself. It is only fair to state that most of the nurserymen concerned fully recog nize the seriousness of this condition, and do all in their power to control the scale on their own premises by repeated spraying, and in many cases they have removed all infested trees. Across the fence, however, on the property of their neighbors, the problem is more difficult and the results are less satisfactory. As a consequence, such nurserymen pay an annual tax by the fumigation or destruction of all infested stock found by the inspector on his visit.

In inspection work it is necessary to keep in mind that the inspection is for two purposes: first, the protection of buyers residing in Massachusetts; and second, compliance with the laws of other States into which nursery stock may be shipped from here. As the laws of different States vary quite widely this is sometimes difficult, and the Association of Horticultural Inspectors has, for some time, been attempting to obtain a national law applying to all imports into this country, and also to interstate shipments. If successful, this should result in greater uniformity, and also in a larger degree of protection, and such a law is much to be desired. Unfortunately there seems to be no immediate prospect that it can be secured.

Another present difficulty which the inspector meets is that he does not inspect or even know of some of the stock sent out under his certificate. He may inspect every plant present in the nursery at the time of his visit, but when orders for shipment are to be filled it is rarely the case that a nurseryman has everything which may be ordered. He therefore sends elsewhere (frequently outside the State) for what he lacks, distributes this stock among his different shipments and sends each of these out with a certificate intended to cover only the stock he himself raised. It is true that the purchased stock is accompanied by a certificate from the

State whence it comes; but it is also true that inspectors differ in the thoroughness with which they do their work, and therefore some certificates mean more than others. During the past fall five complaints of the receipt of infested stock from Massachusetts have been made. In three of these cases only a small portion of the shipment was infested, and this portion was found to have been bought by the nurserymen; in other words, the infested stock had never been seen by the inspector under whose certificate it was finally sent out. In the other two cases the source of the infested stock could not be learned, and it is only fair to say that inspectors are not infallible, and that they may and certainly do miss. more or less stock which is infested.

At the conference of the Governors of New England last November, one topic considered was that of developing the industry of fruit raising. After some discussion this was referred to representatives of the Boards or departments of Agriculture of the different States and to the State entomologists. A meeting of these followed, and it became evident that a distinct advantage could be obtained by establishing laws which, so far as possible, would be uniform throughout New England, and the nursery inspectors were requested to formulate such a law. This work has been completed by them after numerous sessions and consultations with the nursery inspectors of other parts of the country, and the result, in the form of a new law governing nursery and orchard inspection in Massachusetts, has been presented to a committee of the Board appointed to consider this subject. I would recommend that the Board adopt the recommendation of the committee, and urge the passage of the bill by the present Legislature as a substitute for the one now in force.

It gives me great pleasure to again express my thanks for the assistance in this work given by the secretary of the Board, and by all connected with it.

Respectfully submitted,

H. T. FERNALD,

State Nursery Inspector.

AMHERST, Jan. 11, 1909.

FOURTEENTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

CHIEF OF THE CATTLE BUREAU

TO THE

MASSACHUSETTS

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

FOR THE YEAR ENDING Nov. 30, 1908.