1939] SERVICE AND REGULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS 127 
B. E. P. Q. 482. 
TREATMENT REQUIREMENT OF NONINFESTED NETHERLANDS NARCISSUS BULBS 
AS A CONDITION OF ENTRY REVOKED 
November 10, 1938. 
On January 14, 1935, as authorized in regulation 3, as revised on said date, 
of the rules and regulations supplemental to Notice of Quarantine No. 37, the 
announcement was made that on and after December 15, 1936, narcissus bulbs 
would be authorized entry under permit in unlimited numbers for any pur- 
pose, subject to inspection and certification in the country of origin and re- 
inspection at the port of entry in the United States with the understanding 
that any shipments found to be infested would be rejected. At the same time, 
revocation of the domestic Narcissus Bulb Quarantine No. 62 was announced, 
effective April 1, 1935. 
On August 1, 1936, in accordance with the authority contained in regula- 
tion 9 of said Notice of Quarantine No. 37, it was further announced that, as 
a condition of entry, the treatment of narcissus bulbs would be required since 
external examination of these bulbs could not be relied upon to determine their 
freedom from infestation by the bulb nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci. Those in 
interest were informed in a circular issued September 16, 1936, of the "latest 
approved treatment" to be employed with respect to all entries of narcissus 
bulbs. 
Since it was a matter of record that imported and domestic bulbs other than 
narcissus were known hosts of the bulb nematode, a conference was held in 
Washington on December 15, 1936, to consider the desirability of treating all 
known hosts of the bulb nematode enterable under the Nursery Stock, Plant, 
and Seed Quarantine No. 37. The following day, December 16, 1936, a hearing 
was held to consider the advisability of establishing a domestic plant quaran- 
tine for the purpose of requiring the treatment of narcissus bulbs and other 
known hosts of the bulb nematode as a prerequisite to interstate shipment. On 
February 15, 1937, it was announced that the evidence presented at the con- 
ference in question indicated that the bulb nematode risk which accompanies 
the importation of most ornamental bulbs which have been inspected in the 
country of origin, supplemented by inspection at the port of entry in the United 
States, does not justify the requirement that all known hosts of this nematode 
be treated as a condition of entry. No change in the requirements as to im- 
portation of narcissus bulbs was announced at that time. While no public 
announcement has been made with reference to the conclusion reached as the 
result of the hearing on December 16, 1936, no Federal domestic quarantine 
has been promulgated requiring the treatment of narcissus bulbs and other 
known hosts of the bulb nematode as a condition of interstate shipment. 
At the request of the Netherlands Government, a committee of technical 
experts representing the Governments of the Netherlands and of this country 
was appointed for the purpose of considering on the ground, in the Nether- 
lands, the necessity of requiring the hot-water treatment of Netherlands nar- 
cissus bulbs as a condition of entry into the United States. This committee 
held a series of meetings in the Netherlands, during the month of April 1938, 
most of which took place in the narcissus bulb fields where every opportunity 
was afforded to inspect the bulbs as to foliage or by lifting them, and to ob- 
serve the cultural practices and sanitary measures employed in an effort to 
reduce the bulb nematode infestation to the minimum. The field examinations 
revealed an almost complete absence of bulb nematode infestations in the nar- 
cissus plantings. In view of this condition and the sanitary measures prac- 
ticed, which involve repeated field examinations during the growing season, 
supplemented by inspection and certification of the bulbs at the time of ship- 
ment, it is evident, so long as the above conditions exist, that the bulb nema- 
tode risk incident to the importation of Netherlands narcissus bulbs does not 
justify the continuation of the requirement that all importations of these bulbs 
be given the hot-water treatment as a condition of entry. This requirement, 
therefore, will not be in effect on and after August 15, 1939. On and after 
that date, all such importations. In accordance with the provisions of regula- 
tion 7 of the Nursery Stock, Plant, and Seed Quarantine No. 37. shall be ac- 
companied by a certificate certifying that the bulbs have been thoroughly in- 
spected at the time of packing and found or believed to be free of injurious 
plant diseases and insect pests. Finally, upon arrival at the American ports 
