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SELECTIVE FEATURES, THE REAL DIFFICUITY WITH QUARANTINE 37. 



The Department is enforcing 24 foreign plant quarantines and 15 domestic 

 plant quarantines, and all of these are working as smoothly as quarantines ordi- 

 narily v/ork, and all are accepted without serious question except Quarantine 37. 

 It is therefore worth while to attempt to determine wherein Quarantine 37 differs 

 from the others. A brief study of the matter, I think, makes it plain that the 

 difficulty is due practically altogether to the selective features ^involved in 

 this quarantine both as to the restrictions on the entry of foreign plants and 

 as to the restrictions on the issuance of permits to import plants, in both 

 instances with the object of reducing the volume of importations and consequent 

 risk of entry of any pests and yet to provide for all essential introduction and 

 propagating needs. These selective features are as follows: 



1. As to plants, Quarantine 37 is selective in that it permits certain 

 classes to be freely imported, and restricts the importation of other classes. 



2. As to the restricted plants, it is again selective as to varieties and 

 quantities, based on availability or need. 



3. As to permittees with respect to restricted plants, it is selective on 

 the basis of the public service to be rendered with the plants imported, 



The basis of the selections exercised by this Department, both with respect 

 to plants and individvials, is indicated in the quarantine and regulations and is 

 more fully explained in Circular letters 105 and 145 issued by the Board. 



It can easily be appreciated that these selective features afford ample 

 opportunity for difference of opinion, and this difficulty is inherent in any 

 quarantine of this nature and could not be avoided by any change in the machinery 

 of administration. 



The records in the possession of the Department fully demonstrate that 

 importations of all classes of plants are attended with a greater or lesser risk 

 of bringing in new enemies in spite of any practicable safeguards of inspection or 

 even disinfection* The protection which the country heeds and demands, therefore, 

 involves the exclusion of all stock not absolutely essential to the horticultural, 

 floricultural and forestry needs of the United States, and that is just what Quar- 

 antine 37 attempts to do. 



The only remedy which siaggests itself appears to be impracticable, namely, 

 to declare a "really and truly" embargo against the introduction of all foreign 

 plants except as to entries made through the Department of Agriculture. Such a 

 quarantine would not only give the most perfect protection from the entry of for- 

 eign plant pests but wouM probably eliminate most of the complaints because of 

 the finality of the action. The assumption of such importations by the Depart- 

 ment, however, would seem to involve such an enormous Governmental enterprise as 



