October 2«, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



409 



THE PLANT QUARANTINE 



A representative delegation of florists 

 and plantsmen, representing the S. A. F. 

 and O. H., the National Association of 

 Gardeners, and the American Associa- 

 tion of Nurserymen, appeared before 

 the Federal Horticultural Board at 

 Washington, Oct. 18. to urge the post- 

 ponement of the effective date of the 

 proposed new import restrictions. The 

 delegation was headed by William F. 

 Gude, national representative, and 

 Charles H. Totty, president of the S. 

 A. F. and O. H., and Orlando Harrison, 

 of Berlin. Md.. representing the nur- 

 serymen. 



The meeting was presided over by 

 C. L. ilarlatt, chairman of the Board, 

 who stated that at the meeting of May 

 28, the whole problem of plant and 

 tree importation had l>een gone into in 

 detail and that there was really little 

 or nothing to be said at this time. He 

 also stated that the May meeting was 

 held in compliance with the law and 

 that, therefore, nothing more was 

 necessary and the Board could have 

 gone ahead with the enforcement of 

 the regulations, but the Board wanted 

 to give those interested in importing 

 these things another opportunity to 

 offer constructive suggestions. 



President Totty was the first speak- 

 er in opposition. He urged the post- 

 ponement of the operative date until 

 some time after the conclusion of the 

 war v,'hen conditions will have righted 

 themselves and the American dealers 

 placed in a position where they could 

 handle the domestic business without 

 having to rely on the foreign produc- 

 tion. He presented a letter from the 

 National Association of Gardeners op- 

 posing the regulations and pointing 

 out the hardship placed upon the big 

 estates who have sacrificed their col- 

 lections of palms, exotics, etc., in their 

 desire to conserve fuel. It was pointed 

 out that it will be difficult at best to 

 replace these valuable collections, but 

 the Federal Board could assist in the 

 work of again starting the collections 

 by withholding these proposed new 

 drastic rules. 



The florists and gardeners have had 

 to accept large sacrifices in the cur- 

 tailment of coal, the loss of labor, the 

 difficulties of transportation, etc., and 

 1 it is felt that nothing more should be 

 _j added to their burdens than is abso- 

 r lutely necessary. Mr. Marlatt pointed 

 _ out that this would be a good time to 

 _D put the regulations into effect as they 

 3 would not be noticed— the Shipping 

 Roard and the War Trade Board have 



so cut off importations that there is 

 practically nothing in the plant line 

 coming in and this condition would 

 merely be carried on indefinitely with- 

 out regard to the conclusion of the 

 war. 



Mr. Harrison, of the Nurserymen's 

 organization, spoke very briefly, mere- 

 ly stating that inasmuch as the matter 

 had been gone over so thoroughly be- 

 fore his fellow-members he would 

 merely urge the postponement of the 

 effective date of the regulations. 



,1. D. Eisele. vice-president of Henry 

 A. Dreer. Inc.. of Philadelphia, made a 

 technical speech showing the effect of 

 the regulations upon future plant 

 stocks. He took up different varieties 

 in detail. For instance, stating that 

 his firm had during the past ten years 

 imported $3.59.000 worth of Kentia 

 palms, in spite of having planted 

 1,100 bushels of seed, amounting to 

 about 5,000,000 seeds, he declared that 

 it they wanted to replace their impor- 

 tation of Kentias by domestic produc- 

 tion it would require from 20 to oS 

 acres of additional glass. This the 

 firm would not consider, particularly 

 in view of the fact that at some future 

 date the Board might reverse itself 

 and permit the unrestricted importa- 

 tion of Kentias when the house;! would 

 be valueless for the jiurpose for which 

 constructed. 



Mr. Eisele stated that in this coun- 

 try it requires about six years to pro- 

 duce a seven-inch finished Kentia. as 

 against four years for similar produc- 

 tion"in England. Scotland or Belgium. 

 Climatic conditions are against quick- 

 er production and even the plants pro- 

 duced in California require an addi- 

 tional two years under glass to make 

 them approach in quality those now 

 brought over the water. Otherwise, 

 they have the appearance of the palms 

 grown in Southern France and Algeria. 

 If the Holland and Japanese water 

 lilies are prohibited entrance into the 

 United States, the only types available 

 thereafter will be the most common 

 varieties. Roses, too. will be badly 

 affected by the regulations, he said, 

 and he spoke of what would happen 

 in the case of araucarias, bay trees, 

 tuberous rooted begonias, bulbs, etc. 

 He furnished the Board with a long 

 list of bulbs against the importation of 

 which there could be no objection on 

 the ground that they carr>- disease. 



Speaking of the Japanese beetle, 

 wljich he said Dreer's were accredited 

 with having introduced into the 



United States, he declared that even 

 if the government was compelled to 

 spend $15,000 annually, which was the 

 case this year, for several year? in 

 fighting this pest, the total so spent 

 would not oitset the great losses to the 

 imiM)rters from the cutting off of im-' 

 portations of Japanese plant stocks. ' 

 He said that a couple of moiv cold 

 winters like the last one in the United 

 States would kill off completely do- 

 mestic stocks of Japanese iris. 



In concluding the meeting. Chair- 

 man Marlatt stated that further con- 

 sideration would be given the matter 

 and it is quite evident that the regula- 

 tions as originally drawn tip will l)e 

 modified and the effective date ex- 

 tended. 



Winfred Rolker's appeal to Dr. Gal- 

 loway has brought a response to the 

 effect that the suggestions made will 

 according to Dr. Marlatt, be taken 

 into careful advisement and the as- 

 surance is given that the Federal 

 Horticultural Board will act only after 

 careful consideration of all the impor- 

 tant and broad questions involved. 



BOUND BROOK, N. J. 

 A visit to the Beechwood Heights 

 Nurseries, Thos. Young, Jr., proprietor, 

 is especially Interesting to anyone in 

 the profession, where roses, gardenias 

 and orchids, the three leading special- 

 ties grown here, are objects of inter- 

 est. The orchids certainly command 

 our first attention for it may be safely 

 said that there is no place in America 

 or anywhere in the world where any- 

 one can see such large numbers of 

 cattleyas as here. AH the leading 

 varieties are represented not by hun- 

 dreds but by tens of thousands for cut 

 flower purposes, while special houses 

 are devoted to choice, select varieties, 

 albinos and all the rare hybrids. These 

 choice forms are kept for the pleasure 

 of the proprietor and as parents for 

 hybridizing. Hybridizing and raising 

 of seedlings has assumed huge propor- 

 tions here and one can see over fifteen 

 thousand plants in all stages of devel- 

 opment, from tiny seedlings to plants 

 of flowering size, when they are 

 watched with anxiety to see the results 

 of this interesting work done by Mr. 

 Wicks, under whose care this huge col- 

 lection of one hundred thousand or- 

 chids thrive as well and even better 

 than in their native habitat. The 

 gardenias are setting promising buds 

 while the roses furnish large daily 

 cuts of excellent flowers. 



