110 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



April, 1919 



Will the people stand for having an entire in- 

 dustry wiped out of existence on the fiat of a 

 board of five men, whose history and training 

 have never qualified them in any way, to speak 

 authoritatively for the interests which they affect? 



The ignorance of the board as to actual com- 

 mercial conditions might be illustrated in many 

 ways, but perhaps this is as illuminating as any. 

 Plants are admitted so long as they have no sand, 

 soil, or earth — the evident danger carrier being 

 the sand, soil, or earth. The amount of such 

 materials used in packing the plants is infinites- 

 imal in comparison with the enormous quantities 

 of sand, gravel, and clay entering the country in 

 the form of ship ballast at any of the ports. In 

 one season comes to one large port many more 

 tons of such material than comes in on 

 plants at all ports in a great number of 

 years. One horticulturist investigating this 

 point was offered 8,000 tons of such ballast sand 

 in one lot at the port of Philadelphia; and such 

 ballast material is carried inland and is used for 

 grading and filling, sold to potteries, and for other 

 industrial purposes. 



IT IS somewhat difficult to get exact figures 

 concerning either the value or bulk of 

 horticultural importations but it will not 

 be without interest, in view of the assertions 

 that have been made in some quarters that the 

 whole trade is of but little importance to the 

 country at large, if we look into such statistics 

 as are available. According to figures furnished 

 by the Nurseryman and Seedsman, of England, 

 the production of stock for export to America 

 (even in the year 191 8 when conditions were not 

 by any means favorable) was: 





FRANCE 



ENGLAND 



HOLLAND 



Korc-st and ornamental de- 

 ciduous trees. 



Ornamental deciduous 

 shrubs 



3,444,697 



165,014 



858,829 

 1,560,221 



4,"7 

 88,626 



8,685 



23,32S 



6,482 

 736,185 



49,873 

 357,200 



This it will be noted takes cognizance only of 

 hard-wooded material — herbaceous perennials, 

 bulbs. Orchids, etc., are not included in this 

 enumeration. 



Other figures, taken from an official publica- 

 tion of the Federal Horticultural Board, are inter- 

 esting in connection with the proposed quaran- 

 tine. The Quarterly Letter of Information, issued 

 by the Board in January last, lists the pests 

 taken from plant material presented for import in- 

 to America between October 1 and December 30, 

 1918. How much this material amounted to, and 

 what proportion it was of the total imports, are 

 not stated; but the countries of its origin, the 

 nature of the pests, and the hosts on which they 

 are found, are given. During those three months 

 England sent us one specimen of saw-fly and one 

 case of crown gall, both on Rose stocks (which 

 are not excluded by Quarantine 37). France sent 

 over two lonely beetles on wild cherry seed, and 

 another kind of beetle and two other insects on 

 Hyacinths (both plants are not excluded by 

 Quarantine 37). There also came one bug and a 

 case of Mucor globosus (mold fungus), the former 

 on Clematis, the latter on a Peony root — of 

 course these are banned material after June 1. 

 From Ireland came six cases of a bacterial disease, 

 again on Manetti Rose stocks ! Scotland contri- 

 buted a saw-fly, also on Manetti stock, which 

 Quarantine 37 admits! 



Well, what's the answer? 



1 [AT is the Office of Information think- 

 ing of anyhow? Who, in that public- 



f V > tv bureau of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, had the temerity to prepare 

 and issue the press release entitled: "Can the 

 United States Grow Its Own Fruit Stocks?"? 

 Did he not realize that in bringing up such a sub- 

 ject, not to mention expressing an opinion on it, 

 he was violating the sacred province of the august 



F. H. B. which, alone, is qualified to say what 

 American horticulture can, should, shall, and 

 must do? In the very opening paragraph he 

 speaks almost reverently of the "blending of the 

 soils of America and France," saying: "The most 

 notable instance of the incorporation of American 

 soil into the soil of France was the taking to 

 France of several barrels of earth in which to bury 

 the body of Lafayette, but French soil has been 

 incorporated into American soil in literally mil- 

 lions of places . . . How did it come? On 

 fruit stocks." 



Visitor to flower show in 1924, (greatly impressed by guide and 

 special guard): "Well, Well, so that's an Azalea! — and they used 

 to be quite popular Easter gifts! And it doesn't look in the 

 least dangerous. Does it ? " 



How, oh how can one office of the Dept. of 

 Agriculture condone a criminal practice such as 

 the bringing of plant materials and soils into 

 this country when they are perhaps infested with 

 nine hundred and sixty-seven kinds of bugs and 

 diseases? 



Again: "One of the questions to be solved is 

 the practicability of producing in this country 

 the millions of ordinary apple, pear, plum and 

 cherry stocks which have hitherto been secured 

 largely abroad." If we can grow "very 

 promptly" our Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Palms, 

 Orchids, Boxwood and all the fastidious plants 

 that the F. H. B. says we can why should we have 

 any trouble with simple little things like these? 



Says theOfficeof Information: "Thechief prob- 

 lems are to find regions and soils in this country 

 where stocks may be grown commercially. . . 

 Correlated with the problem of commercial stock 

 production is that of securing seeds for stocks. 

 There is need for developing our home supplies 

 [Indeed there is, and more need coming!] This 

 is a long time proposition, as there are few recog- 

 nized sources of supply here such as exist in 

 Europe?' 



But the Federal Horticultural Board differs, 

 asserting that the total exclusion of most orna- 

 mental materials will cause but a momentary 

 pause in our horticultural progress, — many of 

 which we are reminded by Dr. B. T. Galloway, 

 one-time Asst. Secy, of Agriculture are "not 

 worth a bagatelle" — such as Orchids, Gladiolus, 

 Dahlias, Peonies and other worthless trifles. 



But there are quite a good many people who 

 come from the same state as Dr. Galloway, who, 

 judging by his remarks at Boston those (just 

 quoted are only a few of them) hasn't much of an 

 opinion of ornamental horticulture anyway, and 

 doesn't mind saying so. Those people "want to 

 be shown" — they aren't interested in hypotheses 

 and theoretical discussion. They are standing 

 on firm ground and looking for facts. 



Typical Resolutions Passed at Representative Gatherings of Horticulturists 



Boston, Mass. 



(After public lecture by Dr. B. T. Galloway on February 15, 1919.) 



Resolved. — That this public meeting in Horticultural Hall, Bos- 

 ton, on February 15, 1919, comprising many members of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society and others keenly interested in 

 horticulture, believes that the horticultural interests of the United 

 States "will be very seriously affected if Quarantine No. 37 is put in 

 force. 



Since the opening of the great world war, imports of European 

 nursery stock have been very much restricted, and growers here 

 have not stocks on hand of the excluded plants from which to prop- 

 agate. A very long period would be necessary to produce much 

 of the stock we have been importing, and our climate and labor con- 

 ditions are such that few men would have the temerity to undertake 

 work which a new Federal Horticultural Board would probably un- 

 settle if not destroy. 



The opinion of the Federal Horticultural Board that debarred 

 plants can all promptly be produced at home is one which no one 

 possessing practical horticultural knowledge would for one moment 

 consider. Orchids, Bay Trees, Boxwood, Rhododendrons and other 

 debarred plants require from 7 to 25 years from seeds, cuttings, or 

 grafts to be of suitable size for the American trade. We have no 

 growers here willing to, wait for these long years for financial 

 returns. 



Proof is entirely lacking that our most serious pests and diseases 

 have come on foreign nursery stock. If inspectors had, in the past, 

 performed their duties more carefully, many of them would have 

 been excluded. With a total prohibition of all plant imports, there 

 remain ample opportunities for both pests and diseases to be 

 introduced and, as long as we have foreign commerce, there are 

 probabilities of additional trouble from such sources. 



There seems no valid reason why careful inspection by properly 

 trained men before shipment and after arrival should not amply 

 safeguard our growers at home. 



We consider this Quarantine unjust, unfair, and very discrimina- 

 ting. In it Germany is distinctly favored, while friendly nations 

 have practically all their products debarred. 



We do not believe that Congress endowed the Federal Horticul- 

 tural Board with any fiscal powers, and the efforts of a few nursery- 

 men and florists in supporting this measure are with an idea 

 of excluding plants from abroad that they may charge higher prices 

 for inferior articles produced at home. 



It is our earnest belief that, under any circumstances, this Quar- 

 antine should not go into effect on June I next, and that no action 

 he taken which does not properly safeguard the increasingly im- 

 portant horticultural interests of America. 



Resolved, That copies be forwarded to Dr. C. L. Marlatt, Chair- 

 man of the Federal Horticultural Board, Hon. D. F. Houston, 

 Secretary of Agriculture, Senators Lodge and Weeks, Senator-elect 

 Walsh, and the sixteen Massachusetts congressmen. 



Minneapolis, Minn. 

 {By the Minnesota State Iiort. Society) 



This Society, having a membership of 3,200 men and women in- 

 terested in horticultural work and progress, does herewith emphatic- 

 ally protest against the enforcement of Quarantine Order No. 37, 

 made by the Federal Horticultural Board. 



Under the ruling of this Board the above Quarantine Order will 

 take effect June I, 1919, and will put an embargo on nearly all plants 

 which have in the past been imported from foreign countries and 

 are still needed in the future for the benefit and enjoyment of the 

 people of our country. 



We submit the following reasons why this embargo is unfair, un- 

 just, and should not be enforced: 



1. The purpose of the embargo is to prevent the importation of 

 plant diseases and insect pests; which purpose will not be accom- 

 plished unless importation of all plants is prevented. 



2. If there is danger in importing trees and shrubs, there is also 

 danger in the importation of scions and buds; against which there 

 is no embargo. 



3. There is as much danger in importing Rose stock for grafting 

 as there is in grafted stock and plants on their own roots. 



4. If Lily bulbs, Lily-of-the-valley, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Tulips 

 and Crocuses can be imported, why are Snowdrops, Iris, Orchids, 

 Anemone, Astilbes, Begonias, Gladiolus, Gloxinias, etc., excluded? 



5. We know of no good reason why Azaleas, Rhododendrons, 

 Araucarias, Boxwood, Bay Trees, Dracaenas, Palms, Orchids, etc., 

 should not be imported. 



6. Until plants needed can be produced here in the desired quality 

 and quantities, their importation should be permitted. A large 

 number of these plants will, most likely, never be satisfactorily 

 produced in this country. 



7. The enforcement of the embargo will deprive this country of 

 the benefits of horticultural progress made in foreign countries and 

 deny us the introduction of novelties produced abroad by horticul- 

 tural establishments of worldwide reputation, which are as much 

 interested in having their plants free of disease and insects as we are 

 ourselves. 



8. Last, but not least, it is possible to prevent the importation 

 of diseases and insect pests through proper inspection and precau- 

 tionary measures made and taken at the points of shipment and 

 ports of import. 



For the reasons herein stated we consider the ruling of the Fed- 

 eral Horticultural Board to be arbitrary and unwarranted. We 

 respectfully protest against the enforcement of this embargo, be- 

 cause we know that its results will be detrimental to the horticul- 

 tural interests of the United States. 



As individuals and as an Association we are devoted to unre- 

 stricted progress and development of horticulture, which is facili- 

 tated and made possible through intercourse and close affiliation 

 with other progressive countries and interests. 



,-, i-p> ^Jpk\Trcf ^ ^ e Secretary of Agriculture on March ist gave an audience to a joint 

 1 vclLC ±>ICYVo. Committee of the American Association of Nurserymen and the Society of 

 American Florists and expressed himself as anxious to ascertain the real feelings of those concerned 

 and likely to be affected by Quarantine No. 37. Now is the opportunity for all interested to file objec- 

 tions. Write at once to your Congressman and to the Secretary of Agriculture and help get a sus- 

 pension of the order which otherwise becomes effective on June 1 next. 



