30 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



to be a desirable hedge plant. Spiraea Veitchii is a tall shrub, 

 the latest of the Spiraeas to flower. All these shrubs have 

 pr(^ven hardy in eastern Massachusetts and it now remains to 

 be seen, whether they will endure the winters of the same 

 latitude further inland. 



Dandelions in January. — The very unusual weather 

 of last January carried summerlike temperatures far into 

 realms that at such seasons are ordinarily covered with snow 

 and ice. The climax was reached about the middle of the 

 month, when dandelions were in blossom in the editor's 

 grounds, tulips were pushing up and the soil was free from 

 frost. Exactlv a year earlier in the same locality, the tem- 

 perature was 20 degrees below zero and for more than two 

 weeks the mercury did not rise above the freezing point at 

 any time. 



A Plant Embargo. — The National Government often 

 seems unfortunate in its selection of men to fill important 

 positions. This seems to be true with regard to the com- 

 mittee or board in whose power it is to make regulations for 

 the imi)ortation of plants into this country. Impressed with 

 the fact that certain destructive plant diseases have come to 

 us from foreign lands, the lioard has attempted to erect a sort 

 of Chinese wall between us and harm, l)y forbidding the im- 

 l)orlation of practically everything that the florist and nursery- 

 man uses. This is sure to work harm, not only to American 

 growers, but to the plantsmen in P)elgium and Northern 

 France, as well. What appears to be particularly irritating 

 to lovers of plants on this side, is the calm insouciance with 

 which the few nK'nil)ers of the board have dealt an unusually 

 severe bknv t(^ decorative planting. A writer in Horticulture 

 savs of the new Plant Quarantine Regulation No. 37, "We 

 can no longer inii)ort wonderful orchids from their native 

 iiabitats; tiie peony creations of the great French hybridizers 



