40 



The Florists^ Review 



Maech 10, 1021. 



propaganda that the Dcpartinont of 

 Agriculture intends ultimately to bar 

 out altogether all plants from abroad. 

 "Tlie lack of any basis for this mis- 

 representation is perfectly apparent 

 and tlie ridiculousness of the argument 

 based upon it hardly needs rebuttal. 

 There certainly is no agency in the 

 United States that is better acquainted 

 than the Department of Agriculture 

 with the need for securing any useful 

 and valuable plant which may be had 

 in foreign countries and which is capa- 

 ble of introduction and establishment 

 in the United States. This need has 

 found expression in this department in 

 a host of useful plant introductions and 

 in the establishment now for many 

 years in the bureau of plant industry 

 of the office of foreign seed and plant 

 introduction. Through this office and 

 other department agencies some 10,000 

 different kinds of foreign plants have 

 been imported during the last twenty- 

 five years, many of which have proved 

 to be highly useful plants and have 

 already taken their place permanently 

 in the agriculture and horticulture of 

 this country. 



Botanic Gardens Not Restricted. 



"It is asserted in this propaganda 

 that 'the beneficial research work of the 

 great institutions of America, such as 

 the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. 

 Louis and the Arnold Arboretum of 

 Harvard University, has been either 

 stopped or disastrously checked so far 

 as such operations arc dependent upon 

 plants obtained from beyond the bor- 

 ders of the United States.' 



"In view of the 650 odd permits 

 which have been issued to private im- 

 porters and the establishment of hun- 

 dreds of successful plant propagation 

 enterprises throughout the United 

 States by importations made under 

 these permits, the ridiculousness of the 

 charge that botanic gardens are neces- 

 sarily materially affected in their de- 

 velopment by this quarantine is appar- 

 ent. 



"The chief fibjection to the quaran- 

 tine on the part of botanic gardens has 

 been to the requirement of sending their 

 importations to Washington for inspec- 

 tion and treatment. If, as indicated 

 elsewhere, the department secures funds 

 to provide for inspection at the princi- 

 pal ports of entry, this objection will 

 necessarily largely disappear. 



Little Danger from Ships' Ballast. 



"The subject of soil and other ships' 

 ballast is ^j^aiii brought u]> in this prop- 

 aganda, with the argument that if such 

 ballast is permitted entry the prohibi- 

 tion of tlie entry of plants with soil is 

 illogical. In response to this objection, 

 which is an old one, the Federal Horti- 

 cultural Board had a very careful in- 

 vestigation of such ships' ballast con- 

 ducted 0918-19) at the principal ports 

 of entry of the United States. This 

 investigation indicated that the bulk 

 of the niiiterial em]iloycd as ballast 

 consisted of sand, gravel, broken rock, 

 and even ashes. The soil occasionally 

 emjiloyed proved to be excavation soil 

 (cellar and ditch soil) or soil from river 

 banks. In other words, there was no 

 incfication tliat garden or field soil was 

 ever used for such purposes. Later on 

 the question of immunity of subsoil 

 came up to determine its availability as 

 packing material for bulbs, and the de- 

 partment's investigation indicated that 

 such soil could be safely so used and the 



quarantine was modified, permitting 

 such use. Under the present normal 

 ••onditions the amount of ballast coming 

 to Americiin porta is comjiaratively 

 small, and the risk therefrom is trivial 

 as compared with cultivated soil long 

 associated with {)lants in greenhouse or 

 outdoor cultures and more or less abun- 

 dantly stocked with insect, nematode 

 and disease enemies of plants. 



Conclusion. 



"It would certainly seem to be good 

 business and practical common sense 

 to restrict so far as possible importa- 

 tio!is of plants which in the past have 

 proved so disastrous to the agriculture 

 .-md horticulture of this country. It is 

 certainly unthinkable that the farm, 



garden, orchard and forestry interests 

 of the United States, or that any plant 

 lover should want to return to the old 

 system. 



"With the support of Quarantine 37 

 a distinctively American horticulture 

 and floriculture are now being created 

 and the dependence on foreign-grown 

 plants is rapidly disappearing, and with 

 it much of the risk of entry of new 

 plant pests. 



"Quarantine 37 has been amended 

 several times and may be amended in 

 the future upon presentation of ade- 

 quate reasons therefor, but no amend- 

 ments will be seriously considered which 

 open up again the dangers which this 

 quarantine is designed to guard 

 against." 



MOTT-LY MUSINGS 



j^vr«Air^>rir/svirASviirs\ir/svi^sviftfW.v»ii«xir«\irr«YnY«>ir/s\ir/s>ir/^^ 



J. T. Cokely, of B. E. & J. T. Cokely, 

 Scranton, Pa., was looking over a special 

 .-idvertisement of wire designs and ob- 

 served that "granted that the travel- 

 ing salesmnn is essential in suck busi- 

 ness as ours, seasonable specials, es- 

 jjecially at this time, were wire pullers, 

 in that they were road by the thou- 

 sands, while the salesman could only 

 apjiroach hundreds. Having had road 

 experience, we know of what we speak," 

 continued 'Mr. Cokely. 



• * * • 



Henry Leahy, Elizabeth, N. J., has 

 good business to report from both stores. 

 Asked for an opinion touching the street 

 flower sellers, this firm believes they 

 help sales, in that direct attention is 

 attracted to flowers. 



• * • « 



I'. W. Massmanii, Montclair, N. .T., at- 

 tributes continued good business to 

 keejiing u]^ displays. The close prox- 

 imity to the New York flower market 

 makes this task comparatively easy. 



• * • * 



Docrrer & Sons, Westfield, N. J., bas- 

 ing future demand upon past experience, 

 have a fine stock of flowering and foli- 

 age plants. They are also strong on 

 carnations. 



• * * * 



Anson V. Norton, of Somerville, N. J., 

 has the establishment in fine shape for 

 the season's business, thoroughly reno- 

 vated and well stocked. Junior Norton 

 is making a record ns a grower. 

 » • » • 



Smith's Flower Shop, East Orange, 

 N. .1., rejKirts an unusual number of 

 funeral orders, c.-illing for much choice 

 stock. The seed department is opening 

 up nicely. 



• * • • 



John Frickc has succeeded to the busi- 

 ness of the late P. Pojiken, Orange, N. J. 

 Choice Ophelia and Madame Butterfly 

 roses and Matchless and Laddie carna- 

 tions were seen here from the Harry O. 

 May range, at Summit, N. J. 



• • • • 



Rassbach Flower Shop, Bloomfield, 

 N. J., is well pleased with the general 

 run of business, which compares fa- 

 vorably with previous seasons. Funeral 

 work has been quite heavy. 



• • • • 



Harry O. May, Summit, N. J., is fur- 

 nishing the finest Laddie, Pink Delight, 

 Belle Washburn and Matchless seen in 



many moons. It is hoped a display will 

 be made at the national flower show, 

 March 14 to 20, at New York. 



• * * * 



Lager & Hurrell, Summit, N. J., hope 

 to make an exhibit of orchids at the 

 national flower show, but the scarcity of 

 blooms, together with the big prices 

 paid, will be a factor henceforth and 

 until after Easter. A large shipment of 

 orchid peat was being made to Europe 

 and called for some caustic remarks 

 from John E. Lager regarding the diffi- 

 culties under which the American or- 

 chidist is working at this time. 



• • • • 



George Goeller, of Goeller Bros., 

 Trenton, N. J., wliile putting the finish- 

 ing touch to a handsome spray, observed 

 that business in general and funeral 

 work in particular were not so brisk as 

 could be wished. Commenting upon the 

 various means for creating publicity 

 and further educating the public taste 

 for the more general use of flowers re- 

 minded me of a florist who has not 

 failed, for ten years at least, every 

 Sunday to fill a pair of vases upon an 

 altar with flowers. The value of these 

 sometimes amounts to a five-spot. 

 "Yet," said he, "we never seemed to 

 miss them and our business has un- 

 doubtedly benefited thereby, for it has 

 grown steadily and profitably," adding 

 his conviction that individual advertis- 

 ing, even along such lines as these, must 

 be effective. Carlman Ribsam, of Tren- 

 ton, N. .!., while predicting that plants 

 will have to be sold at a lower figure 

 to meet the times and noting a falling 

 off in regular sales of flowering jtlants 

 for the table, for exam])le, claims that 

 the cultivation of the public taste rests 

 as much with the salesman as with the 

 grower. 



• • * • 



F. A. Loreuz, Middlotown, N. Y., in 

 addition to a choice stock of carna- 

 tions, grows large numbers of vegetable 

 plants. His Easter crop of lilies and 

 Holland bulbs looks fine. 



• • • • 



F. X. Dienst, Middletown, N. Y., re- 

 ports good business right along, with 

 plenty of stock. Easter prospects are as 

 promising. A special item is Geranium 

 H. F. Michcll, which has superseded 

 R. A. Nutt here, as with manv other re- 

 tailers. Stem-rot has ruined "a fine lot 



