Chap. 572.—An ACT to create and maintain a state board of crop pest com-
missioners, and define their duties and powers.

Approved March 65, 1900.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
board of control of the Virginia agricultural experiment station is
hereby created a state board of crop pest commissioners with duties
and powers as hereinafter provided.

2. It shall be the duty of this board to appoint a competent person
as state entomologist and patholowist, and such assistants as may be
necessary, who shall, acting under authority of the above board, be
charged with the duties now devolvi ing upon the state inspector for the
San Jose s¢ ale, under an act of assembly entitled an act to amend
and re-enact an act entitled an act to eradicate and suppress the
San Jose or pernicious seale, a disease affecting fruit trees, and to
prevent its spread; approved February twenty-eight, eighteen hundred
and ninety-eight, and with such further duties as are hereinafter speci-
fied. The board of crop pest commissioners shall, after due considera-
tion, prepare a lst of such dangerously injurious insect pests and
diseases of plants as may properly, within their judgment and the
jJudzment of the state entomologist and pathologist, be controlled and
eradicated, and they shall cause such list to be published, along with
particular specifications, as to the nature and appearance of the same
and the manner in which the said pests are generally disseminated. The
board of crop pest commissioners shall, at the same time, provide rules
and rewulations under which the state entomologist and pathologist
shall proceed to control, eradicate, destroy, and prevent the dissemi-
nation of the said pests, and these rules and regulations shall have effect
of law in so far as they conform to this act and the general laws of this
state and of the United States, and any person, firm, or corporation
who fails or refuses to comply with the orders or directions issued under
rezulations provided by the board of crop pest commissioners shall,
upon conviction thereof he fined in the sum of not less than ten and not
more than twenty-five dollars for each such failure or refusal: provided,
that all prosecutions under this act shall be by indictment, presentment,
or information in the county court of the county in which the person,
firm, or corporation proceeded against is then resident.

The board of crop pest commissioners shall have power to provide
quarantine rules and reeulations against the sale and transportation of
all plants commonly known as nursery stock, within the state when the
same are found to be infested with any one or more of the insects or
diseases In the above specified list. They shall also have power to
provide like regulations in regard to all plants commonly known a:
nursery stock, entering this state from without, and these regulation
shall be enforced by the state entomologist and pathologist.

+. It shall be the duty of this board to provide for the annual in
speection of all nursery stock grown within the state prior to Septembe:
first of each year by the state entomologist and pathologist, or hi:
assistants, who shall issue a certificate of freedom from insect pests anc
plant diseases to the owners of all nurseries found-entitled to the same
and they shall further provide regulations under which nursery stock
brought into the state may be sold under the above provided certificate

5. It shall be unlawful after promulgation of the rules and regula.
tions provided for in this act for any person, corporation, or commor

carrier to transport nursery stock contrary to these rules and regula.
tions, and any violation of the same shall constitute a misdemeanor
and upon conviction thereof the person, corporation, or common car.
rier shall be fined in a sum not less than fifty ($50.00) nor more than
one hundred (8100.00) dollars.

6. The police powers and authority conferred in the act above cited.
commonly known as the San Jose scale law, are hereby conferred upon
the board of crop pest commissioners.

%. There is hereby appropriated from any moneys in the state
treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one thousand ($1,000)
dollars per annum, and the auditor of public accounts is hereby directed
to draw his warrant upon the treasurer of the same for this sum or such
parts thereof as may be necessary until the aforesaid sum be expended,
upon the filing with him of properly itemized vouchers verified by the
president of the said board. The said board shall make, or cause to be
made, a biennial report to the governor of the state covering the
operations under this act.

All acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby
epenie
This act shall be in force from its passage.