FEDERAL HORTICULTURAL BOARD. 525 



purposes, and field, ve:etable. and flower seeds may be imported with- 

 out permit or other restrictions. 



The quarantine provides further that the following classes of plants 

 may be imported under permit and on compliance with the other 

 re(|uirements of the regulations, viz, certain bulbs, rose stocks, fruit 

 stocks, including cuttings, scions, and buds, and seeds of nut, fruit, 

 forest, and other ornamental and shade trees and of hardy perennial 

 ornamental shrubs. 



The quarantine also provides for the importation, under special 

 permits from the Secretary of Agriculture, of limited quantities of 

 otherwise prohibited stock for the purpose of keeping the country 

 supplied with new varieties of plants and stock for propagation pur- 

 poses, not available in the United States. 



This quarantine does not affect the status of nursery stock and other 

 plants and seeds covered by special quarantines and other resti"ictive 

 orders now in force. 



The regulations governing the entry of the classes of plants listed 

 above are similar to those hitherto in force with respect to nursery 

 stock, and take into account the classification of countries into (1) 

 those maintaining inspection and certification of nursery stock in 

 accordance with the requirements of the plant quarantine act, and 

 (2) countries which have not made provision for such compliance. 



Three minor amendments have been issued with respect to this 

 quarantine. Amendment No. 1 provides for the use of sterilized soil 

 for packing bulbs and other plants. Amendment No. 2 is a revision 

 of regidation 14 and is essentially an interpretation of this regulation 

 rather than an enlargement of powers under the quarantine. The 

 entry of new varieties of plants and of necessary propagating stock 

 which would be otherw^ise prohibited under the quarantine is specially 

 provided for in this regulation. It is further provided that all such 

 importations shall be made through the Office of Foreign Seed and 

 Plant Introduction of the Department of Agriculture at the cost and 

 for the use of the importer. This method of introduction is to provide 

 for the proper inspection and safeguarding through the agency of 

 the highly developed inspection and quarantine service now organized 

 by this department of the material thus imported. Amendment No. 3 

 provides for the entry of otherwise prohibited stock from foreign 

 countries contiguous to the United States and has special application 

 to the entry of such stock from the Dominion of Canada. Under this 

 regulation such entry under stated restrictions will be permitted only 

 of specified classes of nursery stock and other plants and seeds which 

 can be considered as peculiar to such contiguous countries and not 

 mere reproductions of imported stock from foreign countries. 



This quarantine aroused wide criticism and protest, much of this 

 being based, however, on misrepresentation and particularly on the 

 charge, which w^as directly contrary to the facts, that the quarantine 

 would prevent the United States from receiving the new plant crea- 

 tions of Europe and other foreign countries and that America would 

 therefore be forever deprived of all such additions to its horticulture 

 and floriculture. These protests also found large support on the part 

 of importers whose business was necessarily restricted as a result of 

 the quarantine. On the other hand, this quarantine received sub- 

 stantial indorsement from the great body of the producing nursery- 

 men of the country. 



