68 



HORTICULTUEE 



January 24, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



KstabUahed by WlUlam J. Stewart In IMVi 



VOL. XXXI 



JANUARY 24, 1920 



No. 4 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



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EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 

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Growers in New England and New York 

 The Illinois are greatly aroused by the quarantine just 

 quarantine declared by the state of Illinois as the re- 

 sult of the European corn borer agitation. 

 This quarantine bars out of the state dahlias, gladioli, 

 chrysanthemums, geraniums, corn, broom corn and celery 

 grown in any of the New England states or in New York. 

 It is realized that the scare may readily spread to other 

 states which in turn may take similar action, thus making 

 the situation doubly serious. There are several large grow- 

 ers of dahlias and gladioli in New England and New York 

 who make heavy shipments to Illinois and adjacent states 

 and doubtless will unite in prompt and vigorous action to 

 have this embargo removed and to prevent its being im- 

 posed by other states. Mr. J. K. Alexander of East Bridge- 

 water, a very prominent dahlia grower, has been quick to 

 .see the danger, and expects a movement which will help 

 to save the business interests of eastern growers. As Mr. 

 Alexander points out, this embargo is wholly unnecessary 

 and entirely unjust. The danger of spreading the corn 

 borer through the medium of dahlia roots and gladioli 

 corms is too remote to even justify consideration. The 

 borer lives over in the stalks, possibly, but these stalks 

 are all cut off before shipment. Moreover, the dahlia roots 

 are cut up into single pieces, and it would be impossible for 

 them to carry the pests. Both dahlia roots and gladiolus 

 corms must of necessity undergo considerable handling 

 which would be another measure of safety. There is still 



another point, too, as Mr. Alexander pointed out, at a meet- 

 ing in Boston last fall. Dahlia roots are always planted 

 commercially five or six inches deep and it was admitted 

 at this meeting that the borers had never been fouod more 

 than an inch or two under the ground. 



Still another interesting phase of the question was en- 

 countered in discussing the matter with a prominent Mass- 

 achusetts grower. It was pointed out by this man that the 

 quarantine notice sent out by the Illinois officials specifies 

 simply dahlias and gladioli without mentioning roots or 

 corms. This man says that as the notice reads It actually 

 applies to flowers or plants. He ships neither, but will 

 continue to cut and ship bulbe and corms, feeling under 

 this notice he has a perfect right to do so. 



To some extent chrysanthemums and geraniums are also 

 shipped from New England and New York and of course 

 the growers are hit by this embargo. If there were any 

 real danger or if the quarantine were justified by the facts, 

 the growers would submit gracefully, but they feel that 

 under the circumstances the Illinois authorities have simply 

 built up a straw man for the purpose of knocking him 

 down and that they are laboring under a huge misappre- 

 hension in taking this drastic action. 



It is significant too, that almost at the same time a 

 notice is being sent out from Washingon that the Eujro- 

 pean Corn Borer is not as dangerous a pest as was sup- 

 posed because when found in the West it has only one 

 brood yearly, making it much more easy to control. Al- 

 together, there is every reason to expect that the New 

 England and New York growers will make a vigorous pro- 

 test and one which will have results. 



It was an exceedingly difficult problem 

 The rose award with which the executive committee of 



the American Rose Society was con- 

 fronted when it was obliged to choose the best rose of 

 American origin in competition for the Gertrude M. Hub- 

 bard medal, as reported elsewhere in this issue. Aiout 

 forty roses were eligible, and they included both the green- 

 house and outdoor varieties. Moreover, they included varie- 

 ties which, while well adapted to cultivation in some parts 

 of the country, do not thrive well in others. If reports 

 are true, however. Columbia was the first choice of a 

 greater part of the executive committee. It can well be 

 imagined that Premier, Red Radiance, Los Angeles, Mrs. 

 Moorfield Story and Ophelia Supreme might have warm 

 supporters. Apparently, however, Columbia stood high 

 above all the others in the committee's estimation. Columbia 

 is, of course, a greenhouse rose primarily, and it will be 

 rememibered that when the last award was made it was to 

 an outdoor rose, Excelsa, originated by Mr. Walsh of 

 Woods Hole. Possibly the committee purposes to alternate 

 indoor and outdoor roses as a means of avoiding criticism. 

 In the opinion of some people it would have been better 

 had several classes been provided for, or a proper method 

 of scoring arranged which would simplify matters a little. 

 Without much question, the choice of the committee this 

 year will be pretty generally approved, but the time is 

 likely to come, when the competition will be so close that 

 making the award will prove a heart-breaking matter. 



