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HORTICULTURE 



September 6, 1919 



EXPLANATION OF PROVISIONS 

 FOR ENTRY OF PLANT NOV- 

 ELTIES AND PROPAGAT- 

 ING STOCK UNDER 

 QUARANTINE 

 No. 37. 



Dear Sir:— Regulation 14 of the 

 regulations relative to the importation 

 of nursery stock and other plants and 

 seeds has been revised and reissued. 

 In its new form it is essentially an in- 

 terpretation of the old regulation 14 

 rather than an enlargement of powers 

 under the quarantine, inasmuch as the 

 regulation, as worded in the quaran- 

 tine as originally issued, was intended 

 to cover exactly what is now more 

 clearly stated in the new regulation. 

 This regulation provides for the im- 

 portation under a special permit from 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, of 

 limited quantities of otherwise pro- 

 hibited stock for the purpose of keep- 

 ing the country supplied with new 

 varieties of plants and stock for propa- 

 gation purposes not available in the 

 United States. This amendment, how- 

 ever, does not apply to a few plants 

 which have been specifically prohibited 

 entry under other quarantines, as, for 

 example, pines, Ribes and Grossularia 

 from certain countries, ani citrus, 

 banana, and bamboo stock. 



The following explanations of regu- 

 lation 14 are given to indicate the 

 limitations under this regulation and 

 the procedure to be followed in mak- 

 ing importations of the two classes of 

 plants specified, namely, new varieties 

 and necessary propagating stock. 



The expression "New Varieties" is 

 understood to mean plant novelties, 

 that is, new horticultural or floricul- 

 tural creations or new discoveries. 



"Necessary Propagating Stock" is 

 understood to mean stock of old or 

 standard varieties imported for the 

 multiplication of the plants in ques- 

 tion as a nursery or florist enterprise 

 as distinguished from importations for 

 immediate or ultimate sale of the 

 stocks actually imported, and such im- 

 portations will be restricted to stocks 

 which are not available in this coun- 

 try in adequate quantities. 



The expression "Limited Quantities" 

 used in regulation 14 is understood to 

 mean with respect both to new varie- 

 ties and to standard stocks, such quan- 

 tities as will supply reasonable needs 

 for the establishment of reproduction 

 plantings which may be thereafter in- 

 dependent of foreign supplies. 



There is no limitation as to the 

 number of permits for different plants 

 or classes of plants under regulation 

 14 which an individual may request, 

 but the applications will all be passed 

 upon both as to necessity for the 

 particular importation and as to the 

 quantity adequate for the purpose in- 

 tended, by experts of the Department, 

 lor the information of the Board prior 

 to the issuance of the permits. 



All importations under regulation 14 

 must be made under special permits 

 through the Office of Foreign Seed and 

 Plant Introduction of the Department 

 of Agriculture but for the use of the 

 individual importer. The importer 

 will be required to meet all entry, 

 transportation and freight-handling 

 charges. The Department will make 

 no charge for inspection and super- 

 vision. The necessary procedure for 

 making such importations is as fol- 

 lows: 



1. The Federal Horticultural Board 

 will supply, on request, an application 

 blank upon which request may be 

 made for a special permit to import. 

 This application embodies an agree- 

 ment on the part of the importer that 

 if the imported material is found on 

 examination by an inspector of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture to be so in- 

 fested or infected with insects or dis- 

 ease that it cannot be adequately safe- 

 guarded, it may be destroyed and such 

 destruction will not be made the basis 

 of a claim against the Department of 

 Agriculture for damages. The applica- 

 tion must be accompanied by a state- 

 ment certifying that the plants to be 

 imported are novelties or if standard 

 varieties of foreign plants, that stocks 

 In adequate quantities for their propa- 

 gation are not available in this coun- 

 try, and that in either case they are to 

 be imported for the establishment of 

 reproduction plantings and not for im- 

 mediate or ultimate sale of the stocks 

 actually imported. In exceptional 

 cases the importation of novelties may 

 be made for personal use but not for 

 sale. The application must also give 

 the name and address of the exporter, 

 country and locality where the stock 

 was grown, the name and address of 

 the importer and the name and ad- 

 dress of the nursery or other estab- 

 lishment where the plants are to be 

 planted and grown for propagation 

 purposes on release. 



The plants will, in consequence, be 

 addressed in bond to the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, Washington, D. C, 

 United States of America, and In- 

 dorsed, "Foreign Seed and Plant In- 

 troduction, for (insert name of im- 

 porter)," and arrangements must be 

 •jade with some responsible agency in 

 Washington for the clearance of the 

 plants when received through the Cus- 

 tom House at Georgetown, D. C, to- 

 gether with the payment of all charges 

 involved. 



3. Upon clearance through the 

 Georgetown Custom House the ma- 

 terial will be turned over to the Office 

 of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc- 

 tion by the authorized agent of the im- 

 porter, and in the specially equipped 

 inspection houses and under expert 

 care as to the welfare of the plants, be 

 carefully examined by inspectors of 

 the Federal Horticultural Board. If 

 found free from dangerous insects "i 

 diseases, the shipment will be im- 

 mediately and carefully repacked and 

 forwarded by express or freight, 

 charges collect, to the importer. 



4. Should importers request per- 

 mits covering the importation of 

 larger quantities of propagating or 

 other stock under regulation 14 than 

 can be housed and cared for in the in- 

 spection houses of this Department, 

 and should such request be approved, 

 such importers may be required to pro- 

 vide local storage in Washington for 

 such material during the period of de- 

 tention for examination and, if neces- 

 sary, disinfection. Where possible the 

 original containers will be employed 

 for repacking the material but the im- 

 porter will be required to meet the 

 cost of such repacking and of new con- 

 tainers when such are necessary. 

 Small shipments which can be easily 

 handled will be repacked without 

 charge. For the present the Board will 

 undertake on request to provide for 

 such storage and repacking but re- 

 serves the right to require the im- 

 porter to provide for such work 

 through his own agents. 



2. If the permit is issued, the appli- 

 cant will be furnished shipping instruc- 

 tions and shipping tags to be for- 

 warded with his order to the exporter. 



5. Cleaning and disinfection will 

 occur for slight infestation, but should 

 the material be found to be so infected 

 or infested with either disease or in- 

 sects that it cannot be so adequately 

 safeguarded, it will either be de- 

 stroyed, or, when possible and desir- 

 able, returned to the point of origin. 

 Yours very truly. 

 C. L. Maklatt, Chairman. 



