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HORTICULTUEE 



November 25, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



KslablUhtfl liy Williaill J. Stewart in 1904 



Vol. XXXII 



November 25, 1920 



No. 19 



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HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 739 BoyUton Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor 



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Entered as second-class matter December 8, 190i, at the Post OflBce 

 at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1897. 



It seems that there are rivals tor the name 

 Presidential of Harding among the orchids. At the Bos- 

 orchids ton show one of Mr. Burrage's new orchids 



was named the "President Harding," as 

 has already been announced. Then at the Chrysanthemum 

 show of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society another 

 orchid was named in honor of the president elect, although 

 the name was given in a little different way, being the 

 "Warren Harding" orchid. The "Warren Harding" is a 

 cross between the Percipalina and Heliosa orchids. It 

 came from the estate of Mrs. Fitz Eugene Dixon. An in- 

 teresting feature of the show was the christening of the 

 new orchid, which was placed on a stand over which hung 

 a large silk American flag. The platform itself was cov- 

 ered with green moss, making a verj' pretty effect. After 

 a few words of introduction, Mrs. Thomas Robins dipped 

 her fingers in a small marble urn and sprinkled a tew drops 

 of water on the flower. It is pleasant indeed to have some 

 unique feature like this introduced at the shows. In that 

 way the monotony and precision of the exhibition is broken 

 up, and a popular flavor given which is a help in attracting 

 people who are interested only superficially in flowers but 

 perhaps have the opportunity and the capacity to become 

 real flower enthusiasts. 



In the preliminary report of the executive 

 Quarantine committee appointed at the conference of 

 report the horticultural and other societies in New 



York last June, a general survey of the 

 whole situation is made. Then comes some recommenda- 

 tions which are worth consideration. This report is signed 

 by J. Horace .McFarland, T. A. Havemeyer, Albert C. Bur- 

 rage, James Boyd, Frederic Cranefield, Mrs. Francis King, 

 Dr. George T. Moore, Frederic R. Newbold, Mrs. Percy 

 Turnure. E. C. Vick, and .lohn C. Wister. 



It is pointed out by these distinguished horticulturists 

 that various appeals by individuals and associations for 



the modification of many apparent iniquities in the ruling 

 of the Federal Horticultural Board have proved unavailing, 

 and that as a result the beneflcient research work of the 

 .Missouri Botanical Garden, the Arnold Arboretum, and 

 other institutions has been stopped or disastrously checked. 

 It is for that reason that the conference was called in New 

 York, bringing together representatives of forty-five socie- 

 ties, including virtually all the amateur and scientific asso- 

 ciations interested in promoting the study and use of 

 ornamental and economic plants. It is also pointed out 

 that the meeting favored adequate and reasonable quaran- 

 tine, objecting only to inequitable regulations which 

 amounted to the practical imposition of an embargo. The 

 committee calls attention to the fact that Europe and Asia 

 have furnished this country with many beautiful, rare and 

 valuable plants, but that under the present quarantine they 

 are nearly all barred. This seems in line with a report of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry submitted in 1918, which con- 

 tained these significant words: 



"The time seems to be at hand for the inauguration of 

 a policy that would gradually result in the exclusion of all 

 foreign nursery and florist stock." Such a policy is of 

 course opposed by great numbers of people. The report 

 of the executive committee mentioned expresses the con- 

 fident belief that well equipped and carefully administered 

 quarantine stations should be established at a certain num- 

 ber of ports of entry, such as San Francisco, Seattle, New 

 York, New Orleans and Boston. Certainly it is no reflec- 

 tion on government oflScials to propose assistance for them 

 in the gaining of information which must be gathered slow- 

 ly to show the facts and effects concerning this plant quar- 

 antine, and the report makes this fact plain. The execu- 

 tive committee, therefore, proposes that a capable investi- 

 gator be sent wherever it may be necessary to gain the 

 required information, interview individuals, and in other 

 ways gather the facts which can be adequately presented 

 to the federal authorities. 



Of course some funds are required to carry on the 

 work, and subscriptions are being placed with the treas- 

 urer of the committee, T. A. Havemeyer, 50 Broad street, 

 New York City. The membership of the committee itself 

 is sufficient guarantee that the funds will be expended care- 

 fully and intelligently, and it is promised that none of the 

 money will be used for lobbying or the obtaining of influ- 

 ence. 



This whole question is one of tremendous importance 

 to all horticultural interests of the country, and it is to be 

 hoped that they will co-operate so far as lies in their power. 

 The members of the committee are very glad to have any 

 communications, whether suggestions or information, and 

 they can be sent to best advantage to the secretary and 

 attorney, Mr. Herbert W. Schlaffhorst. care of Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society, Boston, Mass. 



We recently saw an excellent illus- 

 Damaged Orchids tration of what happens when plants 

 imported from abroad go through the 

 course now prescribed by the Federal Horticultural 

 Boai'd. A collection of rare orchids had been or- 

 dered for propagating purposes. No great difficulty was 

 experienced in getting a permit to bring in the plants, but 

 they were sent to Washington and when they reached their 

 destination in a New England city they were in such a con- 

 dition as to almost bring tears to the eyes of the man who 

 had spent several thousand dollars for them. Most of 

 them will live, to be sure, but it will take two or three 

 years to get them normal again, and the work which it 

 was planned to do with them will be put back that length 

 of time. 



