96 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
covered by the plant explorers of these gardens, notably in China, 
Manchuria, and elsewhere in the Orient, and have collected 
similar material All of this material is given very careful scrut¬ 
iny by the Department’s inspectors with the result that a consid¬ 
erable percentage of it has been found to carry new insect pests 
and plant diseases. This has necessitated the destruction by 
burning of many shipments secured at great cost by this Depart¬ 
ment, and in holding much of the rest in quarantine or limiting 
the introduction to buds taken from scions after very careful 
microscopic examination to determine freedom from infesta¬ 
tion. It is perhaps worth noting that this Department during the 
last quarter of a century has made upwards of 50,000 separate 
plant introductions involving as elsewhere indicated upwards of 
10,000 species and varieties of plants. 
No examination or control similar to that given to the importa¬ 
tions made by the United States Department of Agriculture has 
hitherto been possible with respect to the material imported by 
public gardens but there is no question but that such examina¬ 
tion would have disclosed a similar average percentage of infes¬ 
tation. It must be remembered also that practically all of the 
important pests that have been introduced from abroad had been 
in this country from ten to twenty years before their presence 
was detected. This applies to the gipsy moth, the citrus canker, 
the corn borer, the chestnut blight, the European Satin Moth, re¬ 
cently discovered about Boston, and many others. Furthermore, 
such new insects and diseases may remain inconspicuous and 
fairly harmless as long as they are associated only with the im¬ 
ported plants but they may assume a vastly different relation 
when they reach native related plants. The chestnut blight, for 
example, is practically harmless to the Oriental chestnut which 
brought it into this country, but that has been no bar to the 
destruction by this disease now rapidly progressing, of the chest¬ 
nut forests of America. This probability of vastly greater dan¬ 
ger in this country over the country of origin applies to every 
new plant disease and every new insect pest, and has been re¬ 
peatedly illustrated. 
Little Danger from Ships’ Ballast 
The subject of soil and other ships’ ballast is again brought up 
in this propaganda with the argument that if such ballast is per¬ 
mitted entry the prohibition of the entry of plants with soil is 
illogical. In response to this objection, which is an old one, the 
Federal Horticultural Board had a very careful investigation of 
such ships’ ballast conducted (1918-19) at the principal ports of 
entry of the United States. This investigation indicated that the 
war conditions had greatly increased the number of ships enter¬ 
ing Atlantic ports in ballast, due to the necessity of return in 
ballast of transports engaged in carrying troops to France. This 
investigation indicated further that the bulk of the material em¬ 
ployed as ballast consisted of sand, gravel, broken rock, and even 
ashes. The soil occasionally employed proved to be excavation 
soil (cellar and ditch soil) or soil from river banks. In other 
words, there was no indication that garden or field soil was ever 
used for such purposes. Later on the question of immunity of 
subsoil came up to determine its availability as packing ma¬ 
terial for bulbs, and the Department’s investigation indicated 
that such soil could be safely so used and the quarantine was 
modified, permitting such use. Under the present normal condi¬ 
tions the amount of ballast coming to American ports is com¬ 
paratively small, and the risk therefrom is trivial as compared 
with cultivated soil long associated with plants in greenhouse or 
outdoor cultures and more or less abundantly stocked with in¬ 
sect, nemattode, and disease enemies of plants. 
Conclusion 
It would certainly seem to be good business and practical com¬ 
mon sense to restrict so far as possible importations of plants 
which in the past have proved so disastrous to the agriculture 
and horticulture of this country. It is certainly unthinkable 
that the farm, garden, orchard, and forestry interests of the 
United States, or that any plant lover should want to return to 
the old system. 
With the support of quarantine 37 a distinctively American 
horticulture and floriculture is now being created and the de¬ 
pendence on foreign grown plants is rapidly disappearing, and 
with it much of the risk of entry of new plant pests. 
Quarantine 37 has been amended several times and may be 
amended in the future upon presentation of adequate reasons 
therefore, but no amendments will be seriously considered which 
will open up again the dangers which this quarantine is designed 
to guard against. 
C. L. MARLATT, 
Chairman, Federal Horticultural Board. 
Members American Association of Nurserymen: 
Dear Sirs: 
The following men have been selected for the program 
Committee for the forthcoming Convention at Chicago, 
next June: 
Henry Chase, Chairman, 
M. R. Cashman, 
E. S. Welch. 
All members, especially the members of the Executive 
Committee and other Committees are urged to submit to 
the Chairman, Henry Chase, their suggestions for the 
forthcoming program. In selecting Mr. Chase for Chair¬ 
man of the Program Committee, I had in mind, not only 
his superior ability at program making, but also the fact 
that he holds the friendship and confidence of all the ele¬ 
ments constituting the membership of the Association. 
Messrs. Cashman and Welch have agreed to serve on 
the Committee and to lend their best efforts to the round¬ 
ing up of what we believe will be the most effective pro¬ 
gram ever presented to the members of the American 
Association. 
All the members are urged to lend their assistance in 
every posisble manner, and to forward suggestions 
either to the Executive Secretary’s office, Mr. John Wat¬ 
son, Princeton, N. J., who can forward them on to Mr. 
Chase, or direct to Henry Chase, Chase, Alabama. 
Yours very truly, 
Lloyd Stark, President, 
American Association of Nurserymen. 
Gentlemen:— 
Inclosed please find check for bill attached. 
Your publication certainly reaches the trade and is one 
of the most valuable advertising mediums I have used in 
a selling campaign of thousands of dollars. 
Yours truly, 
A. R. Katkamier, Macedon, N. Y. 
HOW TO TREAT IVY POISONING 
In the early stages of ivy poisoning remedies having 
a fatty or oily base, such as ointments, should not be 
used, as the grease or oil tends to dissolve and spread 
the poison, according to specialists of the United States 
Department of Agriculture. Instead they advise simple 
remedies such as local applications of solutions of cook¬ 
ing soda or of Epsom salt, one or two heaping teaspoons 
to a cup of water. Fluid extract of grindelia, diluted 
with 4 to 8 parts of water, is often used. 
Solutions of this kind may be applied with light band¬ 
ages or clean cloths, which should be kept moist, and 
should be changed and discarded frequently to avoid 
infection. During the night, or when moist applications 
can not be used, the poisoned surfaces should be care¬ 
fully cleaned and dried and left exposed to the air rather 
than tightly bandaged. In the later stage, after the toxic 
material has exhausted itself, zinc-oxid ointment and 
similar mild antiseptic and astringent applications hasten 
healing. 
