February 22, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



i; .. 



THE PLANT EMBARGO MENACE 



"ABSURDITIES AND ANOMALIES" 

 IN QUARANTINE 37. 

 While the floiisty have been work- 

 ing and sacrificing tor the relief of 



1 1 1 1 1 1 tor four war years, it pre- 

 vents tli Belgians shipping anj of 

 toi i thej have preserved tor us 

 — and which we urgently require. 



While it prohibits the importation of 

 practically every horticultural item 

 that Belgium produces (Azaleas. Bay 

 Trees. Araucarias, made-up Kentias, 

 Begonias, etc.), it allows the only hor- 

 ticultural item that Germany produces 

 (lily of the valley pips), to come in. 



It stops the importation of Dracaena 

 canes which furnish the only raw ma- 

 terial from which we could produce 

 the colored varieties here 



It places such restrictions on the im- 

 portation of Palm seeds (which can- 

 not be packed in "sand, soil or earth") 

 as to make it impossible to import the 

 seeds necessary to produce palms 

 here. 



It allows the the importation of Rose 

 stocks, yet stops the importation of 

 these same stocks when any variety 

 is grafted or budded on them. 



It allows the importation of Lily 

 bulbs, but only when they are not 

 packed in "sand, soil or earth" — and 

 this restriction of course absolutely 

 stops the importation of Lily bulbs, 

 unless modified. 



It allows the importation of lily of 

 the valley pips if no sand is about 

 the roots, yet sand is the only mate- 

 rial that will prevent the rotting of 

 pips when packed or kept in storage. 



It makes practically impossible the 

 importation of bulbs, pips, etc . be- 

 cause a little "sand; soil or earth" is 

 necessary in their packing, yet appar- 

 ently has no jurisdiction over the mil- 

 lions of tons of the same material 

 Which is dumped here annually which 

 comes as ballast in ships from for- 

 eign countries. 



It allows the importation of Hya- 

 cinth. Tulip and Narcissus bulbs, yet 

 stops the importation of T. R. Bego- 

 nia and Gloxinia bulbs. Is it because 

 the latter come from poor bleeding 

 Belgium? 



While seeking to "protect the couni 

 try from insect pests and plant dis- 

 ease in the interest of the florists and 

 nurserymen" it gives no protection 

 whatever from pests, but is the worst 

 knock-out blow the florists and nurs- 

 erymen ever received. It is destruc- 

 tive instead of constructive. It kills 

 business without hurting the bugs. 



While it places all varieties of bulbs 

 and palm and tree seeds under inspec- 

 tion and red-tape restrictions, it gives 

 the florists and nurserymen no pro- 

 tection whatever from the breeding 

 places of insect pests and plant dis- 

 eases, which in many instances un- 

 just across the fence. 



Write to your Congressmen an 1 

 Senators for redress. Also to D. F. 

 Houston, Secretary of Agriculture, 

 Washington. D. C. giving reasons why 

 you expect him to revise these regula- 

 tions. 



ANOTHER VIGOROUS PROTEST. 



The Minnesota State Horticultural 

 Society, having a membership of 3,200 

 men and women interested in horti- 

 cultural work and progress, does here- 

 with emphatically protest against the 

 enforcement of Quarantine Order No. 

 37, made by the Federal Horticultural 

 Board. 



Under the ruling of this Board the 

 above Quarantine Order will take ef- 

 fect June 1, 1919, and will put an em- 

 bargo on nearly all plants which have 

 in the past been imported from for- 

 eign countries and are still needed in 

 the future for the benefit and enjoy- 

 ment of the people of our country. 



We submit the following reasons 

 why this embargo is unfair, unjust and 

 should not be enforced: 



1. The purpose of the embargo is 

 to prevent the importation of plant 

 diseases and insect pests; which pur- 

 pose will not be accomplished unless 

 importation of all plants is prevented. 



2. If there is danger in importing 

 trees and shrubs, there is also danger 

 in the importation of scions and buds; 

 against which there is no embargo. 



3. There is as much danger in im- 

 porting rose stock for grafting as 

 there is in grafted stock and plants 

 on their own roots. 



4. If lily bulbs, lily of the valley, 

 narcissus, hyacinth, tulips and cro- 

 cuses can be imported, why are snow- 

 drops, iris, orchids, anemone, astilbes, 

 hegonias, gladiolus, gloxinias, etc., etc., 

 excluded. 



5. We know of no good reason why 

 azaleas, rhododendrons, araucarias. 

 boxwood, bay trees, dracaenas, palms, 

 orchids, etc.. should not be imported. 



6. Until plants needed can be pro- 

 duced here in the desired quality and 

 quantities, their importation should 

 be permitted. A large number of 

 these plants will, most likely, never 

 be satisfactorily produced in this coun- 

 try. 



7. The enforcement of the embargo 

 will deprive this country of the bene- 

 fits of horticultural progress made in 

 foreign countries and deny us the in- 

 troduction of novelties produced 

 abroad by horticultural establishments 

 of world-wide reputation, which are as 

 much interested in having their plants 

 free of disease and insects as we are 

 ourselves. 



8. Last, but not least, it is possible 



to prevent the importation of diseases 

 and insect pests through proper in- 

 spection and precautionary measures 

 made and taken at the points of ship- 

 ment and potts of import. 



For the reasons herein stated we 

 consider the ruling of the Federal Hor- 

 ticultural Board to be arbitrary and 

 unwarranted. We respectfully protest 

 against the enforcement of this em- 

 bargo, because we know that its re- 

 sults will be detrimental to the horti- 

 cultural interests of the United States. 



As individuals and as an Associa- 

 tion we are devoted to unrestricted 

 progress and development of horticul- 

 ture, which is facilitated and made 

 possible through intercourse and close 

 affiliation with other progressive coun- 

 tries and interests. 



Circular letter from the Hoard of 

 Park Commissioners. Minneapolis, 

 Minn.. February 14th: 



Dear Sir — As you know, Mr. G. L. Mar- 

 latt, Chairman of the Federal Horticultur- 

 al Board has issued a new eight-page state- 

 ment dated February 1st, explaining and 

 defending Quarantine Rule 37, about which 

 I addressed myself to you previously. 



This statement is the result of the mi- 

 ni n. us ami uniform protests received from 

 all parts of the country by Members of 

 Congress and the Board itself. It does 

 nut. however, bring out anything of im- 

 portance, that has not been known or is 

 not understood by those who protest 

 against the ruling of the Board, nor does 

 it in the least lessen the justice and con- 

 tentions of those protests. 



The insinuation of Mr. Marlatt, that 

 these protests arc mainly due to the solici- 

 tation of the Henry A. Dreer Company of 

 Philadelphia, a firm who has possibly 

 done more for American production of 

 plants of all kinds than any other in the 

 country is unfair, anil an insult to the jn- 

 telligei and Integrity of the horticul- 

 turists all over the country. 



This entire question has been the sub- 

 |ect et consideration and discussion by 

 practically every organization interested in 

 horticultural subjects and undertakings In 

 the United States. A perusal of the trade 

 papers and periodicals devoted to horticu] 

 tare gives a clear reflection of the senti- 

 i, nnis and opinions on this question from 

 all sections of the country. 



The horticulturists, professionals and 

 laymen alike, are well aware of the good 

 intentions of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture in protecting and assisting their com 

 ii interests. They recognize and appre- 

 ciate tin- splendid work done by tin- de- 

 partment and the Incalculable value of the 

 sor\ioos rendered in the past and to be 

 received in the future. There is absolutely 

 mi tendency on their part to belittle tin 

 work done.' nor to misconstrue tin- motives 

 of the department's action in the matter. 



Tie- horticulturists feel, however, that 

 Inasmuch as all the members of tin- Fed 

 oral Board are Scientists, that its findings 

 and conclusions are scientifically one- 

 sided ami ilo not give the practical side 



of tin- question tin- recognition to which it 

 is entitled The Board assumes in its 

 edict a decided autocratic attitude, to 

 which the horticultural interests need not 

 and do not intend to submit 



i !iu- statement in Mr. Marlatt's pamphlet 



of explanation, I wish personally to chal- 



iii particular, viz : "The experts of 



this Department an- convln 1 that it will 



be possilde vcrv prompt!] to produce in 

 tins country .all tin- plants prohibited by 

 tiiU Quarantine and mis opinion has been 

 indorsed by leading nursery men and 

 florists.' 1 



This claim is so much at variance with 

 actual fuels, as to east instilled doubts as 

 in in. correctness of many other conten- 

 tions in that document. It would also be 

 well to know, considering the Indignant 

 protests caused by the attitude of tie 

 era! Board on this question, which are 

 tio- particular Arms and individuals, which 



