M?M 



pf importing the restricted bulbs tinder special permit for the establishment of bulb 

 farms in this country had been so liberally and widely taken advantage of that it 

 vas thought that the announcement of a conference by the Department without special 

 3Utsi.de demand, would have an unfortunate effect on the public confidence in the 

 stability of the quarantine and on the existing very large development of home pro- 

 luction. 



In May and June, 1921, delegations respectively of Belgian and Dutch horti- 

 julturists discussed with tha Board particularly bulb importations and were promised 

 ;hat a public conference on the subject would be called at some future date. After 

 further discussion with the experts of the Bureau of Plant industry of the Depart- 

 lent the Board determined to call the conference early in 1928 but decided to open 

 'or discussion the whole subject of plant importation under Regulation 3. The 

 •easons for the various changes of date of the conference have been indicated in 

 ;he announcements. 



The Board has held other conferences relative to Quarantine 37, publicly 

 mnounced or byrequest of special groups, and action favorable to the conferees 

 ias- been taken several times following such conferences, as indicated above, the 

 loard has always welcomed such conference and no requests of that kind have ever 

 ieen refused. 



As indicating the policy of the Board and Department concerning any future 

 hanges in the quarantine, there is quoted below a portion of a letter written to 

 ;he editor of the Florists 1 Exchange January 4, 1922, and published in that Journal 

 ind in other trade papers* This Istter was called forth by rumors, for which the 

 ioard was not responsible, that additional restrictions were contemplated with 

 •espect to the entry of bulbs and other classes of plants listed under Regulation 3 

 if Quarantine 37. This statement pointed out that no formal action had been taken 

 >y the Board and that if any action were to be taken in the future it would be after 

 ipen conference on the subject and with the intention to give ample time— years if 

 lecessary— for readjustment, as indicated in the following quotation from the letters 



If, as a result of such conference, it should bo de- 

 termined to be desirable to still further restrict entry of 

 such articles, before such restrictions are enforced ample 

 time will bo given for any necessary readjustments, both with 

 respect to the home and foreign growers of such plants, In 

 other words, the notice to foreign growers will be such as 

 will be deemed adequate to meet the new conditions and rer 

 strictions, if any, dependent on the character of the plant 

 concerned—one to several years. She intention would be t© 

 give the foreign grower opportunity to curtail his production 

 and dispose of supplies which he has already under way for 

 the American market and at the same time to give opportunity 

 for the American grower to prepare to meet home needs, 

 naturally, any such curtailment, if determined upon, will 

 not be taken until it is clearly shown that American pro- 

 duction can within a reasonable time replace the stock there- 

 tofore imported. 



