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The Garden Magazine, May, 1922 



When The Iron Fetters of Quarantine Are Felt 



To the Editors of The Garden Magazine: 



THE present quarantine prohibits the importation of practically all 

 nursery stock and bulbs except Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Lilies, 

 and certain Roses and fruit stocks for budding and grafting. In addi- 

 tion, it is permissible to bring in material urgently needed for propaga- 

 tion, if the Federal Horticultural Board can be convinced of that need. 

 On most items, however, this amounts to practically prohibition, since 

 the F. H. B. will make a survey of the number of plants of a given 

 variety in the country, and decide whether or not the quantity is ade- 

 quate. In many instances, the amount of stock is undoubtedly ade- 

 quate, but it is not available, since the owners of the stock will not in 

 the circumstances, dispose of it to their competitors. This year we 

 requested a permit to bring over a considerable amount of nursery 

 stock for propagation. The permit to import was refused on the 

 grounds that there was plenty of stock in the country, and while this 

 was undoubtedly true, so far as we were concerned the stock might 

 well have been on the moon, since we could not secure possession of it. 

 Another difficulty in connection with the operation of the present 

 quarantine is the method of inspection by the Government, which, in 

 most instances, subjects the stock to long and ruinous delay. We 

 have brought over some small amounts of material imperatively neces- 

 sary to us for propagating purposes, and in practically every instance 

 the stock was ruined when we received it. As a landscape architect, 

 in writing specifications I was formerly concerned entirely in deciding 

 what was the best plant for a given position, since any plant specified 

 could be secured. Since the quarantine I have to concern myself in 

 selecting the best available plant even when this involved the elimina- 

 tion of other plants much better adapted to the purpose. 



The reason put forward for the quarantine is that unrestricted im- 

 portation opens the country to a grave danger from insect pests and 

 plant diseases. Undoubtedly there is a very considerable amount of 

 truth in this. However, we are of the opinion that proper inspection 

 can control this, even better than the present quarantine. 



When the Pennsylvania inspection service was a joke (we have real 

 inspections now), we watched our stocks, destroyed suspicious material, 

 and used all known preventions, not because of the fear of State or 

 Federal authorities, but as a cold-blooded business proposition. 



The present quarantine, while burdensome, is in many respects still 

 tolerable, since the public, as might have been expected, is paying the 

 cost. Were the quarantine extended to include Tulips, Hyacinths, 

 Narcissus, Crocus, etc., the result would be disastrous. It is our frank 

 opinion that this material cannot be grown commercially in the United 

 States. We ourselves have carried on experiments covering a period of 

 some thirty-five years, in order to discover if it was feasible to grow 

 this material here. Several attempts have been made to do it on a 

 commercial scale, but without exception, every one of these attempts 

 has finally failed. We have secured and examined the bulbs of all the 

 commercial experiments to which our attention has ever been called 

 and, in each instance, the reason for the failure was obvious. The bulbs 

 were so decidedly inferior that they could not even rate as second class. 

 There seems to be, under cover, another reason for the quarantine, to 

 wit, the establishment of the industry in America. The bulb houses 

 have no objection to this, provided that this establishment of the in- 

 dustry is not made at their expense. All the bulb houses require is an 

 adequate supply of strictly first class material which can be distributed 

 at a commercial price. It is certain that no such supply exists at pre- 

 sent, and it is doubtful whether it can ever be developed. The exten- 

 sion of the quarantine would simply mean that millions of persons 

 would be deprived of having a few flowers in their gardens, for the 

 simple reason that they could not afford to buy the bulbs etc. — Rhea 

 F. Elliott, Pittsburg, Pa. 



— Another of your readers has bumped into that exasperating Quaran- 

 tine 37, and writes to you for advice and sympathy. About six weeks 

 ago I ordered Delphiniums to the value of fifteen dollars from Kelway 

 & Sons, Langport, England. Upon receipt of the order they wrote 

 that it would be necessary for me to obtain a permit for the shipment. 

 After floundering, puzzled and indignant, through reams of literature 

 from the bureau at Washington, this one sentence stands out from all 

 the rest: "Permits will not be issued — for the importation of plants — 

 for the mere adornment of private estates." Now that's just what I 

 want the plants for, only mine is not an "estate," but merely a 6o by 

 100 foot flower garden. Does it mean that a "private citizen" really 

 cannot import a few plants for his little garden, or is there still some- 



thing that I can do to obtain these coveted Delphiniums? — Eva D. 

 Ohde, Manitowoc, Wis. 



— Will you have the kindness to let me know where I can procure bulbs 

 or seeds of any variety of Fritillaria, and the seeds or roots of Eranthis 

 hyemalis? — F. R. Furness, Upper Bank Farm, Media, Pa. 



— In the March number of the Garden Magazine (page 17) I notice 

 that it is time to plant Achimenes. Could you tell me where bulbs of 

 this flower can be procured? I have tried in vain for the last three years 

 to get some. — W. A. Tanner, Minneapolis, Minn. 



— The matter of getting Galanthus, Scilla, and Chionodoxa to renew 

 my supply concerns me extremely, and I should be glad to know how 

 they may be raised from seed (as mentioned by Mr. Bayne of Macon, 

 Ga., in the Open Column of the March number) and where seed may 

 be produced if the process is not too difficult for the ordinary amateur. 



In accordance with Mr. Bayne's suggestion may I offer the following 

 information: (1) Frederick H. Horsford, Charlotte, Vt., advertised 

 Scilla in the fall of 1920. I ordered some — too late — therefore wrote 

 again early last fall; he had only small bulbs at such a high price that 

 I thought it not worth while. (2) I also ordered Muscari from Dreer 

 last fall and found them unable to supply it. 



Seeds of Chionondoxa and Scilla were offered by Thompson & Mor- 

 gan, England, some time ago, but were not included in the 192 1 

 catalogue. Seeds of Helleborus niger and modern hybrids are offered 

 by the following firms: Thompson & Morgan (above mentioned); 

 Carter-Thorburn, New York City; Joseph Breck & Sons, Boston, 

 Mass. Seeds of Helleborus hybrids are offered by Thomas J. Grey 

 Co., Boston. Carl Purdy, Ukiah, California, offers Helleborus orientalis 

 abchasicus rubens, a "reddish flowered sort of much beauty, flowering 

 in midwinter." — R. F. Howard, South Lincoln, Mass. 



— I suppose all garden enthusiasts get some idea in their minds 

 about some special plants that they want for their gardens, and 

 leave no stone unturned to accomplish their ambitions. For about 

 five years I have tried to get some Eranthis hyemalis or Winter Aconite 

 in my garden. In November, 1918, I was very happy when I succeeded 

 in securing fifty little dried up bulbs — all that were available — from 

 Dreer. I planted them at once with some Snowdrops delivered at 

 the same time. The following spring the Snowdrops all came up, but 

 I never saw a sign of the Winter Aconite. Ever since I have been en- 

 deavoring to find a place where I could buy more bulbs, but of course 

 Quarantine 37 has kept them from being imported. Perhaps some 

 reader of The Garden Magazine can help me in my hunt for Winter 

 Aconite. Another plant that I have tried, without success, to introduce 

 into my garden is Aubretia. I have a package of seeds from England to 

 be put in this spring in the hope of better success than had with plants, 

 all of which thus far received having been so thoroughly dried out before 

 reaching me that they never recovered. — Mrs. Walter E. Tobie, 

 Portland, Me. 



— Would you please advise me who makes a specialty of raising Palms? 

 I am establishing a small collection of these plants and would like to get 

 Rhapis flabelliformis, but it is not listed in the latest catalogues of several 

 of the larger dealers. — Fred C. Eckworth, Lakewood, Ohio. 



— There are a number of valuable hardy and greenhouse plants which 

 during the last few years seem to have disappeared entirely from 

 nurserymen's catalogues. Perhaps some of your readers can help me 

 find the shrubby red Fuchsia Riccartoni; the spreading dwarf evergreen 

 rock-plant, Lithospermum prostratum, with its exquisite blue flowers; 

 and the two old greenhouse favorites Justicia (originally from Peru, I 

 believe) and Daphne odora. I have one plant of the latter, for which I 

 am indebted to the kindness of a lady whom I have not the pleasure of 

 knowing personally, and I would very much like some more, especially 

 the pink variety. Last summer in Maine a flower-loving farmer's wife 

 gave me some slips of what was known there as Star of Bethlehem — 

 a very charming little plant. It is quite dwarf in growth, with round- 

 ish, glossy, bright green leaves and is extremely floriferous. The white 

 flowers are single, five-pointed, about an inch across, and remind me 

 of a miniature Platycodon. I believe the donor said there was also a 

 pink flowering variety. Can any of your readers identify it?— A~ 

 Dwight, New York City. 



