2 1 2 



HORTICULTURE 



ruber 6, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



•established Ij.v William J. Stewart In 1904 



VOL. XXX 



SEPTEMBER 6, 1919 



NO. 10 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 

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Bute red as second -class matter December 8. 1804. at the Post Office 

 at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. 



DR. MARLATT ADMITS RESPONSIBILITY 

 FOR THE QUARANTINE ACT 



In introducing Dr. C. M. Marlatt, chairman of the 

 Federal Horticultural Board, at the Convention of the 

 Society of American Florists, President Ammann stated 

 that Dr. Marlatt had been asked to speak in the hope 

 that some enlightenment might be given by him on the 

 quarantine situation. The enlightenment which was 

 given consisted very largely in a history of the quaran- 

 tine, Dr. Marlatt stating that he drew the first act 

 presented to Congress authorizing the quarantine which, 

 being opposed by certain horticulturists through their 

 representatives in Congress, failed to pass. He stated 

 that on the following day he had prepared and immedi- 

 ately presented to Congress another act, the present one, 

 which was passed. He stated frankly that the purpose 

 of the act was to exclude all plants, and that in the 

 application of the quarantine its exclusion had been less 

 drastic than had been at first intended. He stated that 

 about 90% of the bulbs previously imported were now 

 admitted and also numerous plants, e. g., fruit stocks 

 and rose stocks. He felt that the quarantine should be 

 helpful rather than detrimental to growers here and 

 that while it may cause some inconvenience at first the 

 growers would gradually adapt themselves to it and in 

 the end come to realize that Quarantine No. 37 was 

 really beneficial to them. The lecturer occupied over 

 half an hour in going minutely into the history and de- 

 tails of the Act of Congress and Quarantine No. 37. 



At the close of his address, he was severely criticized 

 by Professor H. B. Dorner of Urbana, 111., who stated 

 that he spoke as an individual and not as a representa- 

 tive of his university. He stated that the quarantine as 

 now applied was drastic and might be characterized as 

 an insane measure, that the dangers of insect pests had 

 been greatly exaggerated by the Federal Horticultural 

 Board, and that such dangers did not warrant the sweep- 

 ing exclusion which had been enforced, and that the 

 bill should be rescinded. 



Professor Dorner was followed by Mr. Farquhar of 

 Boston, who vigorously attacked the conduct of the Fed- 

 eral Horticultural Board and the statements just made 

 by its chairman. He stated that at the meeting called 

 at Washington on May 28th, 1918. the Board left the 

 horticulturists with the impression that from three to 

 ten years would lie given in which to get in necessary 



d .i ial ami adapt then' business to the new conditions 

 to In- imposed li\ tie quarantine, the Board on that occa- 

 sion having assured those present that no drastic action 

 such a actuall; was taken, was contemplated by the 

 Board. Mr. Farquhar helicved that the Board at that 

 imi was sincere in its statement, that reasonable action 

 and no drastic measures would be adopted, which opin- 

 ion had recently been confirmed in Washington. In re- 

 ply to his query as to why the Board had changed its 

 mind, he was informed that SWEEPING MEASURES 

 WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY IX WASHING- 

 TON, and the Board had evidently caught the war-time 

 fever. Mr. Farquhar felt that the grossest injustice had 

 been done to the trade by this change. He challenged 

 the statement that 90% of the bulbs formerly imported 

 were admitted now. He believed that of the bulbs used 

 by the trade alone, other than hyacinths, tulips, narcis- 

 sus and lilies, less than 90% were admitted now. The 

 great amateur interest of the country which has re- 

 cently acquired such wonderful development through 

 the efforts of the numerous Garden Clubs, had suffered 

 a much greater percentage of loss, and horticulture had 

 been dealt the severest blow by the Federal Horticultural 

 Board by this quarantine than it had ever received in 

 tin- country. He further stated that Dr. Marlatt - 

 erence to plants which were admitted, was most mis- 

 leading. Actually no plants other than bulbs or conns 

 were admitted, except lily of the valley. The fruit a id 

 lose stocks which Dr. Maratt classed as plants were not 

 really plants but roots of plants (material for the roots 

 of plants). Not one of these stocks is imported with 

 the intention of growing it into a plant. The great 

 objection of the Board to plants seemed to be the fact 

 that certain plants had soil at their roots and that the 

 -oN was a barrier against proper examination. He felt 

 that these plants should be admitted packed in a sterile 

 medium without soil. The repeal of the bill had been 

 asked for. This he felt the Board would never grant, as 

 such repeal would be too great an admission of blunder- 

 mi;. Amendments had been freely spoken of. both by 

 the Federal Horticultural Board and other officers of the 

 Department of Agriculture, but inasmuch as any sub- 

 stantial amendment meant the admission of so much 

 error on the part of the Board, that body would be loath 

 to make any amendment. Mr. Farquhar felt that it 

 hail not been the Board's intention to make any amend- 

 ment whatsoever, but regardless of the great, unneces- 

 sary injury and injustice done to horticulture and those 

 engaged in it, would stick rigidly to its plan of total 

 plant exclusion as a matter of self-justification. He said 

 that it would be a waste of time to seek any redress from 

 the Board; that redress might be sought from officials 

 higher in authority in the Department of Agriculture, 

 but at present that course did not seem to be any too 

 hopeful. He characterized the policy of the Board as 

 autocratic, cold-blooded and un-American, and of a kind 

 which those engaged in honest, uplifting, refining horti- 

 cultural pursuits, as American citizens entitled to pur- 

 sue their lawful business, would not submit to with im- 

 punity. 



Other speakers were Mr. Joseph Manda and Mr. 

 Lager, who spoke of tin 1 injustice which had been done 

 to the orchid men ; thai orchids brought no injurious in- 

 sects which would establish themselves in this country, 

 anil their business had been cut off by this unfair quar- 

 antine. Mr. W. A. Manda, Mr. F. R Pierson and others 

 spoke against the quarantine, after which resolutions 

 were adopted authorizing the Executive Committee to 

 take all necessary action and employ counsel if necessary 

 to -ecu re the repeal of Quarantine 37. 



