90 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Re Quarantine on Plants, Etc. 
A state)nu)it hy Ihe Chairman, Legislative Committee of the Society of American Florists and Orna¬ 
mental Horticulturists 
P KIOR to the passage of the “Plant Quarantine Law” 
of 1912, agitation was worked up by lectures, 
magazine aiticles, pamphlets, etc., with the evi¬ 
dent object of creating an atmosphere favorable to its 
passage. The impression was given that about all of 
the insect pests and plant diseases that affect our forests 
and fann crops were imported into the United States by 
selfish nurserymen and florists—along with the plants 
and nursery stock which they imiKuted from Europe. 
This propoganda resulted in the passage of the Plant 
Quarantine act in 1912, though the agitation still con¬ 
tinues. 
To operate the “Plant Quarantine Act” the Federal Hor¬ 
ticultural Board was created with headquarters in 
Washington, D. C.; it consists of five Bureau chiefs of the 
Department of Agriculture, with Dr. C. L. Marlatt as 
chaiianan. All of these men are well qualified for their 
duties and though the law gives them almost autocratic 
powers, power to quarantine any foreign country or lo¬ 
cality, they have used this power with commendable dis¬ 
cretion and moderation. But this does not satisfy a 
group of State Entomologists who demand nothing less 
than an absolute quarantine against the importation of 
plant life from all foreign sources. 
At a meeting of Entomologists about a year ago, reso¬ 
lutions were passed which in effect requested the Federal 
Horticultural Board to put this absolute quarantine into 
effect, but as no action was taken, the Entomologists in¬ 
terested the American Forestry Association in its plans 
(this association consists largely of Foresters, Entomolo¬ 
gists, Lumber men and others interested in our forests). 
Naturally such men know little about the commercial side 
of the Nursery or Florist business, but when they were 
informed (by men who should know better') that an ab¬ 
solute quarantine of all impelled plant life was necessary 
for the protection of our forests and farm crops, they 
took up the subject with enthusiasm and called a special 
conference in Washington, D. C., to adopt measures to 
stop importation—even of the raw materials. 
The conference was held on January 19th, myself as 
chairman of the Legislative Committee of the S. A. F. 
and 0. H. and J. McHutchinson, of New York, a mem¬ 
ber of my committee being present on behalf of the S. A. 
F. The Legislative Committee of the American Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen was also there, besides several in¬ 
dividual members of the Nurserymen and Florists organ¬ 
izations. Many speeches and papers were delivered ad¬ 
vocating an absolute quarantine, but no opportunity was 
given for discussion after each paper, so the horticultural 
side of the question was not voiced. Besolutions were 
unanimously adopted favoring an absolute quarantine, 
and to show what it means to the florists and nurseiymeii, 
I quote from the proposed Bill the first two sections as 
follows: 
Sec. 1. That it shall be unlawful for any person 
to import or offer for entry into the United States any 
nursery stock. Provided. That the Secretary of 
Agriculture may import, grow and propagate nur¬ 
sery stock in small quantities for experimental and 
scientific purposes, upon such conditions and under 
such regulations as he may advise. 
Sec. 2. That for the purpose of this Act the term 
“nursery stock” shall include all field-grown florists’ 
stock, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings, grafts, scions, 
buds, bedding plants, all herbaceous plants, bulbs, 
roots, and other plants and plant products for propo- 
gation, except field, vegetable, flowers, and tree 
seeds. 
This bill, if passed, will shut out practically every¬ 
thing the florists now import. Azalea Indica, Bay trees 
and Araucarias, Valley pips for forcing or any other pur¬ 
pose, Jap. lily bulbs, French bulbs, Dutch bulbs, Man- 
etti stocks used for greenhouse grafting of roses, Orchids 
and nursery stock of every kind. It would not only 
shut out Dracaens plants, but the canes which are ne¬ 
cessary to produce them. It would shut out Kentia 
plants—also the seeds necessary to grow our own plants. 
“What for?” you ask; the answer is “To save our for¬ 
ests.” If any member of the S. A. F. thinks it necessary 
to stop the importation of Valley Pips, Manetti stocks, or 
Jap lily bulbs to protect our forests, I would like to hear 
him. 
Arrangements were made in the Conference Committee 
so that the measure would not be introduced in Congress 
until Committees from the National Association of Florists 
and Nurserymen had an opportunity of conferencing with 
a special committee of the American Forestry Associa¬ 
tion appointed for that purpose. This arrangement 
shows the right spirit, and while the special committee 
consists mostly of State Inspectors we hope to be able 
to show them that while their plan, if put into operation, 
would put back the Florist business many years, it would 
not go far in protecting our forests or farm crops or re¬ 
duce the diseases which afflict them to any appreciable 
degree. 
The measures that have threatened our interests for 
several years have now reached a crisis. We will need 
on our Committee men of ability who are willing to sub¬ 
ordinate their personal interests to the welfare of the 
trade—men who understand why stock is imported, why 
at least the raw materials are necessary to our welfare— 
men who know something about insect pests and plant 
diseases and who can adequately express their views. 
Since our policy will likely have to be defined before 
our annual convention in August fThe Nurserymen’s 
Convention being held in June), I will seek the advice of 
the Executive Committee of the S. A. F. on the subject, 
but as the matter is such a vital one to many of our mem¬ 
bers, I deem it wise to inform the general trade through 
the medium of your columns and trust you will give this 
report the publicity you consider it deserves. 
