May, 1919 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
117 
Quarantine Proclaimed Against 
Common Barberry. 
The Secretary of Agriculture has 
proclaimed a quarantine, effective 
May 1, prohibiting the shipment of 
certain species of barberry and 
Mahonia into the States of Ne- 
braska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, 
Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, 
Michigan, Wyoming and Colorado 
from the rest of the United States. 
Investigations of the Department 
of Agriculture established the fact, 
some time ago, that the common 
barberry and related Mahonia 
plants harbor the black stem rust 
which causes very severe injury 
to wheat, oats, barley, rye and 
many cultivated and wild grasses. 
A hearing was held some weeks ago 
at the Department of Agriculture 
and the quarantine now proclaimed 
is the result. 
The official quarantine, however, 
does little more than to recognize 
and make effective the practical 
and voluntary quarantine entered 
into by the great majority of 
nurserymen and other persons in- 
terested. An extensive campaign 
for the eradication of the common 
barberry and other rust-harboring 
species has been under way in the 
northern wheat area for the past 
year. The dangerous plants have 
been very largely eradicated from 
the States named in the quaran- 
tine. More than 2,000 nursery- 
men have signed pledges that their 
firms will not ship barberry plants 
into the areas where the effort at 
extermination is being made. 
In the rest of the United States, 
the black stem rust disease is less 
important and there is less or no 
need for the destruction of sus- 
ceptible plants. It was found nec- 
essary, therefore, to prohibit the 
States in which these plants are 
not being destroyed from shipping 
them to the protected states. 
No restriction is placed on the 
movement of Japanese barberry 
and Japanese Mahonia, the most 
valuable and most commonly 
planted of the barberries and Ma- 
honias. 
Lawn Making. 
The best time for lawn making 
is early spring but May is not too 
late. Several columns would be 
required for an adequate discus- 
sion of this subject but only a few 
brief hints can be given. Deep til- 
lage is important, don’t scratch the 
surface, sow grass seed and expect 
an enduring turf. The surface to 
be seeded should be spaded to the 
depth of at least ten inches and a 
greater depth is desirable, without 
of course, turning the subsoil on 
the surface. Grading is important 
as when the lawn is finished the 
grade cannot be changed. June 
grass, known also as Kentucky blue 
grass is best for Wisconsin condi- 
tions with a little white clover for 
variety. Use plenty of seed, at the 
rate of 60 to 75 pounds, or more to 
the acre and rake it in. Oats, or 
better, perennial rye grass may be 
used with the June grass to fur- 
nish a “nurse crop.” Prof. Aust 
says: “I prefer the annual or 
perennial rye grass for this pur- 
pose as this makes a better lawn 
than oats and the perennial rye 
will hold over for two or three 
years, thus giving the blue-grass a 
good opportunity to become estab- 
lished.” 
Watering a newly made lawn will 
do more harm than good unless 
thoroughly done. If the soil was 
properly prepared watering will 
scarcely be necessary. 
Garden Contests. 
Prof. James G. Moore, Depart- 
ment of Horticulture, College of 
Agriculture, is remarkably well in- 
formed on all matters concerning 
this and similar subjects as well as 
other matters horticultural. 
Bulletin No. 32, Garden Con- 
tests and Garden Exhibits by Prof. 
Moore, discusses the two chief ways 
of judging gardens, types of gar- 
dens, score cards and other points 
of interest. Every garden chair- 
man should have a copy of this bul- 
letin. Apply to Prof. Moore or 
this office. 
Hardy Trees, Shrubs and Flowers. 
Pi’of. F. A. Aust of the College 
of Agriculture is the author of a 
12-page illustrated circular which 
is an excellent though brief treatise 
on planting home grounds and the 
classification of planting material 
as to size, color, hardiness, etc. 
Distributed by the College of Agri- 
culture. 
The commercial tobacco prepar- 
ations null keep in check the 
green and black aphis found on 
chrysanthemums at this time of 
the year. Tobacco tea is easily 
made by soaking tobacco stems in 
water until the liquid is the color 
of strong tea. Spray this over 
the plants as often as insects are 
found on them. It is, of course, 
desirable to spray the plants with 
clean water 15 or 20 hours after 
using the tobacco water. 
If you want bird neighbors, 
put up bird houses and bird 
baths and plant a few shrubs 
which carry fruits that birds like, 
such as the Juneberry. red elder, 
and wild cherry. 
