OCR Text |
Show KEEP OUT PINK BOLLWORM Measures Adopted to Prevent Importation Impor-tation of Cotton Pest Fumigation Fumiga-tion Probably Required. The rules and regulations In regard to the Importation of foreign cotton lint, which were discussed at a conference con-ference In Washington, have now been promulgated by the secretary of agriculture. agri-culture. The regulations are substantially substan-tially those which were submitted for the consideration of representative cotton merchants and manufacturers at the conference. The date when they become effective, however, has been changed from June 1, 1915, to July 1, 1915, and the regulation requiring fumigation at the port of entry has been omitted for the present. The purpose of these regulations Is to prevent the entry Into the United States of the pink bollworm, which, In those countries where It has gained a foothold, has proved to be one of the most destructive of cotton pests. It is frequently found in the cotton Beed, and as some seed is almost Invariably In-variably mixed in the lint, It is not considered safe to permit unrestricted Importations of the latter. The new regulations provide for the entry of foreign cotton under permit, limit the sale and delivery of such Imported cotton to mills which have obtained a license for itB use, and require these mills to adopt certain measures In order or-der to obtain their licenses. Fumigation of cotton at the port of entry will probably be required. The regulations on this subject, however, have been omitted until the results of the extensive experiments now under way to ascertain the effect of fumigation fumiga-tion are known. In order to determine both the efficiency effi-ciency of the treatment as a means of killing the pink bollworm larvae as wells the effect of the treatment upon up-on the lint Itself, a committee of cotton cot-ton merchants and cotton manfactur-ers manfactur-ers have agreed to supply the department depart-ment of agriculture with bo me sixty bales of Egyptian and other foreign cottons. These will he fumigated In Washington, and after fumigation the bales will be submitted to varlouB mills for spinning and milling tests, In comparison with cotton of a similar grade which has not been fumigated. The bureau of plant industry, the bureau bu-reau of chemistry, and the bureau of standards will also make a careful examination ex-amination of the fumigated cotton. The fumigation Is to be accomplished by means of hydrocyanlc-acld gas In a practically complete vacuum. Apparatus Appara-tus is now available for fumigating 60 or more bales of cotton at one time by this method. It is also practicable to construct an apparatus which can fumigate a carload of cotton. |