462 



HORTICULTURE 



November 29, 1919 



DISPATCHING ORDERS BY WIRE. 

 As the holiday season approaches 

 and telegraph orders are more numer- 

 ous than at any other time, I feel that 

 a message of warning at this time, of 

 the necessity to be extremely cautious 

 in avoiding any errors in taking 

 orders for out-of-town delivery is op- 

 portune, lie absolutely sure to get 

 the lull details as to correct name, 

 address, card, etc. If possible urge 

 your customers to place their orders 

 early, so that they can be transmitted 

 by mail; this you will find to be more 

 satisfactory as the retailer receiving 

 such an order can make provision for 

 same and avoid substitution in many 

 cases. 



1 would like to call your attention 

 to the importance of having the card 

 attached to the order, be very explicit 

 in every detail, many a gift has not 

 received the proper acknowledgement, 

 owing to the fact that the card did 

 not s^ate what city the gift was from. 

 Just such an instance happened only 

 recently. An order was received by 

 wire to deliver a box of roses to a 

 Mrs. Johnson, 15C5 25th St. Card, 

 Mrs. A. P. Davis (no city mentioned). 

 The florist who wired the order made 

 a complaint that the order was not 

 filled, the party who hod placed the 

 order had heard from their friend in 

 the distant city that they had not re- 

 ceived any flowers from their city, so 

 a complaint was lodged with the re- 

 tailer who had wired the order. The 

 retailer who had filled the order satis- 

 factory to his own judgment was non- 

 plussed at receiving this complaint. 

 It so happened in the course of a few 

 days that a member of the family 

 came into the store, the florist at once 

 looked up the original order and asked 

 if they had received the gift of flowers 

 on that particular day. They admit- 

 ted the flowers were received and that 

 the card of Mrs. Davis was enclosed, 

 but as they had acquaintances of the 

 same name in their home city, took it 

 for granted that the gift was from 

 them, after due explanation, the ac- 

 knowledgement was forwarded with 

 the necessary apology. 



An order placed in Chicago for a 

 box of roses to be delivered in Detroit 

 with a card, should read "From Mrs. 

 A. F. Davis, Chicago, II,." instead of 

 just from "Mrs. A. F. Davis" and not 

 mention the city. 



The point in question is self-explan- 

 atory and it behooves every member 

 to see that every out-of-town order re- 

 ceives the strictest attention. By so 

 doing we can avoid unpleasant con- 

 ditions. 



Yours for more F. T. D. A. co- 

 operation, 



ALBKRT POCHEION, 



Secy. F. T. D. A. 



DRIVES COMMERCE AWAY 

 Federal Horticultural Board's Peculiar 

 Ruling as to Imports Billed to 

 Canada 

 The Federal Horticultural Board 

 continues to draw the lines tight and 

 still tighter. Now it has taken a step 

 which will tend to drive away com- 

 merce from United States ports and 

 send it to Canadian ports. The fol- 

 lowing letters tell the story: 



New York, Nov. 13, 1919. 

 Federal Horticultural Board, 

 Washington, D. C. 

 Gentlemen: — By request of several 

 of our Canadian customers we have 

 received prices from them upon Hol- 

 land Nursery Stock, consisting for 

 the most part of Azalea Mollis, Rhodo- 

 dendrons, Magnolias, Boxwood, Roses, 

 etc., which Canadian laws do not pre- 

 vent Canadian florists from importing 

 to stimulate their own commerce, as 

 our U. S. laws do. 



These Nursery Stock items are most- 

 ly balled, i. e., with earth about the 

 roots; and according to one of your 

 recent letters, you advised that such 

 stock cannot come through U. S. entry 

 ports when earth is about the roots, 

 even though they are bonded through 

 to Canadian ports. 



You will see how your regulations 

 work to the disadvantage of American 

 trade, and will mean that such ship- 

 ments will have to be forwarded via 

 English and Canadian ports, thus driv- 

 ing commerce away from American 

 ports. It will also be a disadvantage 

 to the Canadian importers, as they will 

 get slower service at an increased 

 price. 



Before issuing our quotations we 

 suggest, as patriotic Americans, that 

 you reconsider the matter. As these 

 shipments are not unpacked in the 

 U. S. there is not the slightest danger 

 of introducing insect pests or plant 

 diseases in the U. S. through them, 

 and we do not think it is your inten- 

 tion to drive commerce away from the 

 U. S. without adequate reasons. 



In quoting to Canadian firms we 

 must either say that the shipments 

 can come in bond through New York 

 ports as usual, or that we can book 

 orders only when the importer makes 

 arrangements for shipments to come 

 via English and Canadian ports, so we 

 trust you will give proper considera- 

 tion to the matter and advise us your 

 final decision as soon as possible. We 

 are receiving almost daily requests 

 from Chamber of Commerce and other 

 commercial bodies to boost foreign 

 trade, hut so far as our business is 

 concerned your regulations block any 

 efforts we could make. 



(Signed) McHrTemsox & Co. 



Washington, D. C, Nov. 17, 1919. 

 McHutchlson & Co., 

 95 Chambers St., 



New York, N. Y. 

 Gentlemen: — In reply to your letter 

 of November 13th, I would say that 

 although our regulations prohibiting 

 the importation into the United States 

 of plants with sand, soil and earth on 

 their roots even for transmission in 

 bond do work some disadvantage to 

 American brokers; they are designed 

 to act to a far greater advantage to 

 the growers of plants in the Unked 

 States. One of the most important 

 sources of foreign insects which have 

 come into the United States and have 

 attacked our nursery crops, farm crops 

 and wild and ornamental trees has 

 been the balls of earth about the roots 

 of imported plants. Many insects 

 spend their lives buried in the soil 

 and emerge from this soil to attack 

 our plants. Even though the soil is 

 tied up in sacks and packed in boxes 

 these insects may emerge and fly away 

 from a package, thus gaining entry 

 Into this country. It is, therefore, one 

 of the very necessary safeguards of 

 this immediate transportation in bond 

 that the plants shall not have sand, 

 soil or earth on their roots, and that 

 bulbs shall not be packed in sand, soil 

 or earth, except such sterilized soil as 

 is provided for in Amendment 1 to 

 Regulations Supplemental to Notice 

 of Quarantine 37, a copy of which I 

 enclose. 



Very truly yours, 



(Signed) R. Kfnt Beattie, 

 Pathologist In Charge, 

 Foreign Plant Quarantines. 



PHILADELPHIA. 

 The crop of American Beauty has 

 been on the short side for some little 

 time and most of the flowers now ar- 

 riving are specials. For Thanksgiv- 

 ing these found a ready market in the 

 nine ten column — which compares very 

 favorably with this time a year ago. 

 Russells are a little off crop but Co'.urn- 

 bias and Premiers are in strong sup- 

 ply and make a fine showing Double 

 white Killarney is also very good; 

 and Ophelia is in good supply and first- 

 class as to quality. First cuts of Jen- 

 nie Nonin arrived on the 24th and 

 were promptly picked up, some fancies 

 bringing as high as six and seven fifty. 

 Other leaders just now in the 'mum 

 market are Bonnaffon and the two 

 Chadwicks. Seidewitz seems to be 

 about the only good among the pinks 

 at present. Cattleyas are scarce. 

 Those arriving are mostly labiata and 

 Percivaliana. The December crop of 

 trianae is expected in about a week. 



