Among Your Souvenirs (1967)

[Music] Part of the fun of foreign travel is souvenir hunting. Souvenirs from other places, far away places. The miners of good times, of adventures, tokens of sentiments, every trivia to treasures. Some are innocent, harmless, but other souvenirs are not. Traveler, beware. Be careful of what you take home. [Music] [Music] Transportation swifter every year shrinks the world. More and more travelers are going places by plane, by ship in search of the unique, the exotic, and of course they buy souvenirs. Who's to say why we travelers choose the souvenirs we do? Impulse sometimes sentiment. This woman could probably buy the same plant back home. But she's digging up hither from the yard of a great uncle to remind her forever of a trip back to her native land. Sometimes a souvenir is chosen for reason known only to the traveler himself. This vase will always occupy a special place in the traveler's home and heart. And so he wants it carefully packed. Be sure that it will reach his home unbroken. Souvenirs themselves often look innocent enough. Harmless tokens of happy times. Harmless to the naked eye, perhaps. But see this tiny blemish? It's a clue to what's inside. Squirming larve of one of the great destroyers of our time, the Mediterranean fruit fly. This enemy of citrus and other crops has invaded us before. Five times in this century, and it has cost us more than $21 million to get rid of this pest. We don't want a return engagement. This heather is pretty, but don't be fooled. The soil around its roots may hide the golden neatode, a microscopic pest. It attacks the roots of plants, sucks out vitality. In some countries, it builds up in numbers to the point where crops of potatoes and tomatoes can only be grown every fourth year. quite a drop in production. Because of these dangers, many items must be prohibited. So, at all major ports, the United States Department of Agriculture maintains a strict quarantine control. Much is at stake. Our food supply provided by our crops and livestock. The fiber we know as clothing, our lawns, our ornamental shrubs, the proud forests that beautify our land. Yes, protecting these natural resources against foreign pests is the formidable job of our agricultural quarantine inspectors. These men are trained to identify hundreds of insects, countless plant diseases, various snails, pests of all kinds. Kennedy International Airport, busy gateway to the nation. Thousands of travelers arrive daily from foreign places. Inside at supermarket posts, millions of bags arrive each year. All must be inspected. A customs official on the lookout for items requiring import duty examines each bag, but he also watches for other items. This salami is perfectly fit to eat, but it could contain a serious animal disease like foot and mouth disease, crippler of cattle and destroyer of the nation's meat supply. This meat is prohibited, so it must be destroyed. Plant and animal pest may hide in unexpected places. Now, here's a souvenir. It's perfectly innocent, but the packing may hide damaging foreign pests. So, an agricultural quarantine inspector is summoned. He decides that a closer look at the packing is necessary. It's soon evident that this sack once carried grain. An even closer look reveals the capra beetle, an insect that for centuries has devoured stores of grain in other countries. Hundreds of times each year we find it at ports and stop its entry. The straw is also infected by a blight called flag smudge. One unguarded moment could allow this plant disease to spread to our wheat fields. And so the original packing material must be burned. New packing is supplied. And the package is returned to the traveler clean and safe. What's the verdict here? If this toy had been made from raw, unprocessed straw, it too would be seized and burned. But an expert can see the straw has been processed and it's safe. So it's okay with [Music] everybody. A continent span and oceans width away. An endless summer of sea, sand, and sky. We find a wife jewel of the Pacific. Hawaii, our 50th state, a land made for memories and souvenirs. The sea surrounding the islands is a natural barrier. And so no insect pest can invade our land unless helped by man. Man and his travels. Travelers are drawn to this paradise in the Pacific. A paradise that grows some of the world's finest fruits and most exotic blooms. But these blooms, in spite of their beauty, can mean trouble. For Hawaii, through man's carelessness, has inherited some of the world's most destructive insect pests. And what pest wouldn't seize the chance of hitching a ride even further all the way to the West Coast, a new home nestled among your souvenirs? At Honolulu, travelers bound for the mainland meet Pestina, symbol of all pest eager to go places. Even though customs has no interest in travelers returning to the mainland, our agricultural inspectors must still stand guard. Some souvenirs are safe. Expert inspectors know that they don't harbor pests, so they can be passed. These coffee berries cannot fruit flies often lay eggs within the berries and in this way they could ride concealed to the mainland. An inspector needs only a quick glance and then these flowers can be passed safely. These mangoes cannot pass. Why? Beneath their deceptively healthy skins thrive larve of fruit flies. Only well-trained expert inspectors know which items are safe, which are dangerous. These agricultural quarantine inspectors remain our number one defense against pest invaders. The second line of defense, you, the traveler. What can you do? Don't buy fruit, plants, and meat on impulse. If you do want to bring home such souvenirs, find out what is permitted and what is prohibited before you go abroad. Make sure that you're able to enjoy your souvenirs. be like this wise traveler. She knew that she wanted a foreign plant and so she wrote the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington DC for full details and necessary permits. Once it is free from soil, the plants she is buying may enter the United States. She saves time and trouble mailing the plants home. The Department of Agriculture provides the labels that direct the plant to a special inspection post where it is examined. If the plant is found to be infested, fumigation is one of the many treatments used to kill pests. [Music] Others are hot water dips and chemical sprays. Experts use the right process for the right plant to kill the pest and leave the plants unharmed. The pest-free plants are then repacked and forwarded to your home at no cost to you, the traveler. So enjoy your trip to far away lands. Rub elbows with the strange and the different. Buy your souvenirs. But remember, danger lurks in unexpected places. The Department of Agriculture wants to help you bring home souvenirs that are safe. Don't risk losing yours. Get details before you leave the United States. Details on how you can save your souvenirs and share them back home. Follow correct procedures and the treasured things you buy will remain among your souvenirs. [Music]