Fbbbdart 13, 1919. 



The Florists^ RcvicW 



17 i 



impression that at the hearing and sub- 

 siequent conference the information 

 given the board was against the advisa- 

 bility of putting the quarantine into ef- 

 fect. On the contrary, at the hearing 

 of May 28, which was largely attended 

 and of which a stenographic record was 

 kept, the argument was strongly in 

 favor of the quarantine and, as indi- 

 cated in the early part of this statement, 

 the restrictions which have been em- 

 bodied in this quarantine were strongly 

 urged and endorsed both by many repre- 

 sentatives of the nursery trade and 

 unanimously by letters received from 

 offij^als representing the forest, agricul- 

 tural and horticultural interests of the 

 nation. The conference on October 18 

 was especially to give opportunity to 

 the small body of commercial importers 

 to discuss the restrictions provisionally 

 determined upon in the regulations 

 which would directly affect their inter- 

 ests, and this discussion, therefore, nat- 

 urally brought into prominence these 

 objections. On the other hand, impor- 

 tant producing nurserymen and florists, 

 both in person and by letter, strongly 

 supported the restrictions as then pre- 

 sented and finally adopted. 



They Began It. 



"The argument presented that this 

 quarantine is unjust to European coun- 

 tries, particularly at this time when 

 they are just released from the restric- 

 tions on commerce caused by the war, 

 has weight only in the keen sympathy 

 we all feel, especially for Belgium and 

 Trance. If, however, there are impor- 

 tant dangers to be guarded against and 

 therefore a real need for these restric- 

 tions, mere sentiment, however strongly 

 warranted, has no place. In point of 

 fact, with respect to the two countries 

 which have suffered most from the 

 war — France and Belgium — the latter 

 is the only one which is seriously af- 

 fected by this quarantine. The plant 

 exports of France are largely fruit tree 

 stocks which are still permitted entry. 

 Unfortunately, the plant exports of Bel- 

 gium are largely ornamentals shipped 

 with earth about the roots and are 

 therefore the ones which entail greatest 

 risk to the United States; and, further- 

 more, the inspection service of Belgium 

 is inferior to that of both France and 

 Holland. In the case of Holland the 

 argument from the war standpoint does 

 not apply to the same extent, and, 

 furthermore, the bulb exports of Hol- 

 land are not materially interfered with. 

 The potted and balled plants, however, 

 from Holland convey the same dangers 

 that they would from Belgium and other 

 foreign countries, and are accordingly 

 excluded. 



"With respect to this action as to 

 European countries, it may properly be 

 noted that this quarantine merely places 

 the United States in more close align- 

 ment with (but still behind) the action 

 long since taken by these countries rela- 

 tive to plant imports from the United 

 States. France, Holland, Germany, and 

 to a less extent Belgium, have long 

 maintained practically complete prohibi- 

 tion of plant imports from the United 

 States." 



Connters on Dreer. 



Dr. Marlatt goes on at length to re- 

 peat the old assertions as to the vast 

 monetary losses alleged to have been 

 caused by San Jose scale, brown-tail 

 moth, gypsy moth, peach moth, and 



WILLIAM OTTE. 



OF the many busy -florists ' establishments in the city of Weehawken, N. J., and 

 its environs, in which North Bergen is located, that of William Otte is famed 

 for the chrysanthemums and geraniums he has made his specialties. This range 

 was formerly conducted by Charles Dietz, the late mayor of North Bergen, also 

 a florist of high standing. It was in 1890 that Mr. Otte married Miss Marie Dietz, 

 eldest daughter of Mr. Dietz, to whose business he succeeded in 1908. Mr. Otte 

 was born in Union Hill, N. J., where he lived for twenty-one years. Like his 

 father-in-law, he has been honored by his fellow-townsmen by election to office, 

 for he does not confine his activities to the business in which he has achieved 

 tuccess. He was elected to membership on the township committee of North Ber- 

 .£;on and assumed the duties of this position January 1. His initiation into office 

 was made the occasion for a lavish floral display. 



many others, citing also records as to 

 the condition of infestation of ship- 

 ments recently imported, to show that 

 the danger has not passed. 



"The Japanese beetle," says Dr. 

 Marlatt, "brought in about the same 

 time as the peach moth, has already 

 obtained such firm foothold that in view 

 of its habits and powers of prolonged 

 flight it is probably incapable of exter- 

 mination and will no doubt ultimately 

 overspread the United States. It at- 

 tacks not only practically all fruits, but 

 also many garden vegetables and corn. 

 The amount of damage which it will 

 ultimately cause to American agricul- 

 ture is undoubtedly tremendous. It is 

 worthy of note that this beetle, in the 

 opinion of the experts of this depart- 

 ment and of the state of New Jersey 

 who have investigated the matter, was 

 brought in by the Dreer nursery with 

 importations of iris from Japan. The 

 insect first appeared in the heart of the 

 Dreer nurseries and has spread from this 

 center over an area approximately of 

 2;1,000 acres, involving four townships 

 in Now Jersey opposite Philadelphia." 



"The annual cost to this country of 

 the San Jose scale and the probable ulti- 

 mate annual cost of these other two 

 more recently introduced oriental pests 

 would probably pay for the total im- 

 portations since the foiindation of this 

 republic of ornamental, nursery and 

 florist stock. The declared value of the 

 importation of such stock for the year 

 1914 was only $3,606,808, and it should 

 be understood that the plant stocks still 

 permitted entry represent much of this 

 value. ' ' 



"The experts of this department are 

 convinced that it will be possible very 

 promptly to produce in this country all 

 the plants prohibited by this quarantine 

 and this opinion has been indorsed by 

 leading nurserymen and florists." 



Lily Bulbs May Come in Soil. 



The memorandum also goes on to re- 

 cord the first modification of the quar- 

 antine order, which originally permitted 

 the importation of lily bulbs only when 

 free from soil, a practical impossibility. 



"The main lines of this quarantine 

 are undoubtedly justified," says Dr. 

 Marlatt, "but it is entirely proper at 



