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II (• i; 111' I' i.T r I! !•; 



April 20. 1918 



SEED TRADE 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 



omcrra — I'rr.l.lrnt. F. >V. HolflBOO. 

 Washington. 1>. I'.; Flr»t Vlc«--rr<-.ld»»t, 

 Wm. O (*i»i-lrlt. Italtlniorr. MH.^ ^•««>nd 

 VIot'-l'rraldrnl. I>n>l.l lliirp««. |-blU<l«l- 

 phlm, I'a. ; hfcrrtnry -TrMMurcr, C. K. 

 Kvndrl, ClrtrlADtl, O. 



Public Hearing Regarding Restrictions 

 on Importation of Plants and Seeds 

 The Sot-ret iiiy of AKrieiillure lia^ In 

 formation thai injurious plant diseases 

 and insect pests new to and not here- 

 tofore widely prevalent or dis;ributeil 

 within and throughout the United 

 States may gain entrance into this 

 country through the aReiuy of orna- 

 mental and other plants imported willi 

 earth about tlieir roots. 



There is also special danger from 

 plants imported from little-known an i 

 little-explored countries of the world 

 for the reason that the lack of infor- 

 mation as to the insect pests or plant 

 diseases of such countries makes it 

 impossible safely to pass such plants 

 by inspection or to safeguard them by 

 disinfection 



In view of these dangers, it becomes 

 the duty of the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture to consider the advisability of 

 placing such restrictions or prohibi- 

 tions on the importation of nursery 

 stock and other plants and seeds from 

 all foreign countries and localities as 

 shall be necessary to prevent the in- 

 troduction into the United States of 

 any tree, plant, or fruit diseases, or of 

 any injurious insects new to or not 

 heretofore widely prevalent or dis- 

 tributed within and throughout the 

 United States. 



It is proposed, in connection with 

 the general discussion of the subject 

 of the hearing, to consider the ques- 

 tion of fixing dates for the enforce- 

 ment of any restrictions or prohibi- 

 tions recommended as a result of the 

 hearing at such periods in the future 

 as will permit the readjustment of the 

 trade in the different classes of plants 

 with relation to the countries in- 

 volved. 



In compliance with the Plant Quar- 

 antine Act of August 20, 1912 (37 

 Stat., 315), a public hearing will be 

 held at the Department of Agriculture, 

 Room 11, Federal Horticultural Board, 

 Washington, D. C, at 10 a. m.. May 

 28, 1918, in order that any person in- 

 terested in the subject of such pro- 

 posed restrictions or prohibitions may 

 be heard either in person or by at- 

 torney. 



As illustrating the dangers referred 

 to, within the last ten years there 

 have been introduced through the 

 agency of plants imported with soil, 

 the European mole cricket (Gryllo- 

 talpa gryllotalpa L.), the European 

 earwipc (Forficularia auricnlaria L.), 

 and from Japan a very dangerous leaf- 

 feeding beetle (Bopillia japonica New- 

 man). A large number of the destruc- 

 tive insect pests of important crops 

 have also been Introduced in earlier 

 years by this means, among which are 

 several very destructive clover and al- 

 falfa weevils. On the other hand, 

 there is a very long list of similar in- 

 sects which have not yet gained en- 

 trance. This list includes many dif- 



Begonias 



Farquhar's Tuberous-Rooted 



As Uccklin^f Plants these are unsurpassed for bril- 

 liancy and richness of color. 



Single Variety in six colors, $i oo per dozen"; 

 $7.50 per 100. 



Double and New Frilled Varieties. Prices on 

 application. 



R. & J. FARQUHAR & CO., 



6 South Market Street, Boston, Mass. 



"Seeds with a Lineage" All Varieties 



Thoroughly tested at our trial grounds, Kaynes 

 Park, London, England. Send for Catalogue 



CARTERS TESTED SEEDS, Idc, cooaicrcc Bidt.rBouoo, m»». 



ferent kinds of destructive beetles, 

 such as wireworms, leaf - feeding 

 beetles comparable to our May 

 beetles, sawflies. curculios, such as 

 the weevils affecting clover and al- 

 falfa, root maggots of various kinds, 

 cutworms and other moth larvae, 

 plant lice and plant-infesting eel- 

 worms. The possibilities of such in- 

 troductions are indicated more in de- 

 tail in a publication issued in 1917 by 

 the Department entitled, "A Manual 

 of Dangerous Insects 1 ikely to b^ In- 

 troduced into the Iinited States 

 Through Importations." 



The danger from plants imported 

 witli earth about the roots comes from 

 the impossibility of properly inspect- 

 ing such plants, and the equal impos- 

 sibility of killing the insects in such 

 moist earth by any known means of 

 disinfection, other than the removal of 

 the earth. 



The risk from inportations from 

 countries in quarters of the world 

 where the insect enemies and diseases 

 of plants liave been very meagerly 

 studied, is illustrated by the establisli- 

 ment in this country from such 

 sources of many of our most important 

 injurious insect pests and plait dis 

 eases. Among the former are the San 

 .Jose scale, the citrus white fly, and 

 the oriental peach moth, none of 

 which were known prior to their ap- 

 pearance in this country, and there- 

 fore could not have been looked out 

 for and guarded against. The pencil 

 moth is, furthermore, an illustration 

 of an insect which it is apparently im- 

 possible to kill by any practicable 

 fumigation in its hiliernating condi- 

 tion. The list of insects introduced 

 from such little-explored countries is 

 already very large, and the condition 

 of such stock now coming in repre- 

 sents a constant and very serioii 

 menace. 



Among plant diseases are such no- 

 table examples as the chestnut blight, 

 the white pine blister rust, and th" 

 citrus canker. In the case of thos 

 and other diseases, a toreknowledg" 

 of the disease is apparently essential 

 to its detection, and even then the dis- 

 ease may be in an undeveloped con- 

 dition so that its actual determination 



can not be made until the plant has 

 l)een planted and kept under observa- 

 tion, sometimes for several years. It 

 is not possible in the case of these and 

 most other similar plant disease to 

 eradicate the disease by any known 

 me'.hod of disinfection. 



Philadelphia Seed Trade. 



There is great activity among the 

 seed stores at present, this being the 

 heyday of the counter trade. Every 

 fine day customers are standing six 

 deep. But the well posted men in 

 the trade say that they are making 

 no money. High cost of seed, high 

 overhead charges, and lower profits, 

 all along the line, seem to be the 

 order of the day. So that for all the 

 hurrah they are making less than in 

 a normal season. The seedsmen are 

 distinctly not among the "profiteers" 

 — notwithstanding the hysterical out- 

 siders. 



ivi I c: i-i E I- 1-'^ 



ASTER SEED 



CRKCO. White, Blue, Sliell Pink, 



Rose Pink, Purple. LnrciidiT. 



Tnule pkt.. .30c.; Jl.SO per oz. 



Mixofi Colors. Trade pkt., .tOc. ; 



$1.2.") ner oz. 

 SEMPLE'S LATE BRANrHINO. 



Sepnratc Colors. Tnicli' plit.. :!0c. ; 



$1 23 per oz. Choice Mi.veil. Tnule 



pkt.. 30c.: .$1.0n per oz. 

 EARLY ROYAL nRANnilNO. 



Separate Colors. Tr.mle [ikt.. 40c.; 



$2.2.') per oz. Choice Mixed. Trade 



pkt.. Wf. : .?2.no per oz. 



Send for U'hnlcHole Price LUt 

 ofTerinc everytliinK required by the 

 proKr*'ssive florist. 



HENRY F. MICHELLCO. 



5t8 'Market St., PHIL*. 



TRY THE 



HEATHERS 



BEST CHR1STM.\S AND EASTER 

 SELLERS 



Sec Advertisement of 

 Heatherliome Seed & Nursery Co., page 382. 



