CO885-(19-20) — Page 352

123

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LICO. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

122

disjointed form of the memorandum, but it is hoped it is complete enough to serve for further informal discussion. [L.]

*

MEMORANDUM by Mr. A. G. L. ROGERS, Board of Agriculture, and Mr. H. MAXWELL- LEFROY, Imperial Entomologist to the Government of India.

(1) The attention of Governments everywhere is being drawn to the importance of

dealing with insect and fungus pests on administrative lines.

(2) Consequently, regulations dealing with the importation of plants are being

issued in every country.

(3) British Colonial Governments are among the foremost in passing such

regulations.

(4) But these regulations are not co-ordinated, and vary widely in different parts

of the Empire.

(5) It is anticipated that this may lead to hindrances to trade in agricultural produce, without necessarily keeping the respective countries free from disease.

(6) The Ministers of Agriculture for most of the Colonies are expected in London

this summer.

(7) It is suggested that it might be possible for the Colonial Office to approach them with a suggestion that the ground might be prepared for an Imperial Con- vention to safeguard the Empire from insect and fungus pests.

(8) The first step to be taken is to arrange for the preparation of a classified list of such pests as are present in each part of the Empire arranged according to the degree of injury they cause and the commercial importance of their hosts.

(9) As there is some doubt as to the correct scientific nomenclature of many pests, specimens of each insect, and, if possible, of each fungus, should be sent with the list to the Entomological Research Committee appointed by the Colonial Office, for identification and confirmation.

(10) The list, when prepared, should be published by the Committee and communi-

cated to each constituent part of the Empire. (11) Following upon this, each country should be invited to prepare a survey, on lines to be agreed upon, of the diseases of agricultural crops, showing not only which pests are recorded in each country, but their extent and intensity. (12) This survey should be kept up to date by subsequent periodic reports, to be sent to the Committee, showing the spread or disappearance of such pests, with an account of the means taken for their control.

(13) These reports should be communicated by the Committee at frequent intervals

to the other Governments concerned.

(14) It will then be possible for each Government to adapt its importation regula- tions to the conditions prevalent in the country whence the produce is imported.

(15) It should be made clear that this procedure is not prompted by any feeling of hostility to any foreign nation, and that the co-operation of any such nation as was willing to adopt the same procedure would be welcome.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES UPON THE FOREGOING MEMORANDUM. Paragraph 2.-The object of the present regulations dealing with plant imports is to keep out, or to deal effectively with, pests or diseases which might be brought in with plant or other imports; i.e., the intention is to guard against certain dangers. in the form of pests and diseases, supposed to occur outside the Colony, which that Colony does not wish to introduce. These dangers are not known and most Colonies guard themselves by trying to exclude everything that might bring disease. The present proposal is to obtain and supply to all the Colonies definite information regarding the dangers existing in the Empire, so that, instead of having to legislate blindly against all possible dangers, our Colonies may be able to treat other Colonies more favourably than foreign countries, because they know the dangers they have to guard against and do not have to legislate against all possible dangers. To do this, each Colony must know the dangers existing in the other Colonies, and it is this particular information we hope to get and to supply to all, leading to a sim- plification of the regulations dealing with plant importation between different parts of the Empire and a clearer understanding of the whole problem. There are at

present hindrances to trade arising from defective knowledge, which are needless, as not conferring any real advantage; there are dangers not guarded against because of defective knowledge, and it is probable both of these will increase rather than diminish as communication increases. [L.]

Paragraph 5.-Government regulations dealing with the importation of plants have not been in existence very long, as far as British Colonies are concerned, and no very serious obstacles to trade have yet arisen. There are signs, however, that the tendency to increase the restrictions and to add to the list of pests is growing and already the list in the case of some Colonies is a formidable one. The effect of the Phylloxera Convention on English trade is well known. The exportation of plants and even of bulbs and seeds to some of the countries which adhere to the Convention is made difficult and in some cases impossible, and yet Phylloxera is very common in Italy and extremely rare in England. The regulations of several of the States of the American Union have interfered with English trade, and the tendency appears to be in the direction of increased severity. Restrictions once imposed are seldom, if ever, withdrawn, even if they prove useless. If Colonial Governments follow the examples of the parties to the Phylloxera Convention and the American States, they will stifle all trade in plants. This might be justified if it were certain to be effectual; but it is contended that this is not necessarily the case, and that even if it were, in many cases an equally good result could be obtained by less stringent measures. Australia has prohibited the importation of potatoes from any country in which Phytophthora infestans exists, but the disease has appeared there none the less. In England we have kept free from the Colorado beetle for many years in spite of the absence of any restriction on the importation of American potatoes. Moreover, the restrictions are not always directed against the disease most likely to prove injurious. South Africa takes precautions against the introduction from England of a certain disease, which it is most improbable will be introduced and as far as can be seen would not prove serious if imported, but allows without hindrance the importation of potatoes attacked by another disease which, as far as can be seen, would prove serious. It is submitted that restrictions would, in many cases, not be imposed and, in others, would be made less severe if based on a study of the disease it is desired to keep out in the country from which the plants are to be imported, as well as on a study of the diseases existing in the country to which the plants are to be sent. It is not proposed that any compulsion or external influence should be brought to bear on any Government--merely that the facts should be made known. [R.]

Paragraph 8.-The detailed working of the present proposal would be as follows: The entomologist and mycologist (or their equivalents) would prepare a memorandum showing the important pests and diseases occurring in the Colony, classing them for convenience under crops. If possible it is hoped each will add infor- mation regarding the intensity and extent of the disease. Specimens of the insects or fungi should also be sent, so that the species occurring in the different Colonies might be compared and identified. It is probable that all workers would send specimens for the sake of getting them named, and this would be a benefit to workers in the Colonies; the memorandum and specimens would be sent to the Colonial Office or to the Entomological Research Committee direct. The entomologist or mycologist doing the work in England would go over it, check it with the card-list already prepared of the pests or diseases of that and neighbouring areas, get the specimens identified (with the help of experts at South Kensington, Kew, and else- where), and would prepare for publication the memorandum sent in. A sample memorandum is attached showing how the matter would be dealt with for two crops in India.

After sending in the first memorandum, the officers of the Agricultural Depart- ment could with little difficulty send notice of additional pests or food plants. The first memorandum would probably in some cases be little more than a statement that the following pests were known to attack the following crops, but that the pests of these crops were not fully known nor had any survey of the pests generally been made; such information is definite and enables all other parts of the Empire to know what to do in regard to that place. It is hoped that a start will then be made to get definite information regarding the pests and diseases. In some Colonies the information could be obtained now if the proper officers were set free from other duties and allowed to do their proper work; while in others it exists but has not been published in this form. [L.]