46 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
man’s orchard as it is in that of those who work early 
and late for the best results. 
No enterprise, persistence, education or effort will be 
necessary for there will he no bugs. 
If this legislation works well we must agitate for some 
more to govern the weather, then we can sow and reap 
just when it suits us. 
No pernicious hugs, from whence will come the spur 
to effort to grow better plants, trees and fruit than our 
competitor. 
hut why stop at the hugs? There are lots of people 
who come to the country who are harmful to its institu¬ 
tions and economical administration of its government. 
And who knows, if all communication with other coun¬ 
tries was stopped, the influenza might have been kept 
away. The remedy is simple. Give the Federal Horticul¬ 
tural Board jurisdiction and they will stop all emigration. 
Then there is the importation of animals, horses, cows, 
pigs, chickens. Is there not a very real and great danger 
that they will bring in some terrible epidemic that will 
sweep through the land in spite of the quarantine and 
watchfulness of the health hoards, an ounce of preven¬ 
tion is worth a pound of cure. 
But why stop at trying to prevent danger from other 
lands? We,have lots of it right at home. Two terrible 
accidents recently on the railroads resulted in loss of life 
and property. Suggest stopping the trains from running 
to prevent such occurrences. 
Fires also sometimes wipe out whole communities. 
Better have a law passed to have all fires extinguished 
afraid they will get beyond control. 
This kind of reasoning appears very ridiculous hut it 
is apparently the kind of logic that has resulted in the 
Plant Embargo. 
Judging from the Horticultural press of Great Britain 
the nurserymen and florists and the trade in general 
seem to be going through the same experience as this 
country. 
The following, clipped from the Horticultural Trade 
Journal, applies equally well in this country. 
“We have had during 1918 not only a taste hut a fairly hig 
slice of the fare than officialdom has measured out to industry 
any commerce. Frequently in my notes I have dealt with various 
restrictions, orders, and handicaps. One treads on tender ground 
hereabouts. It would not he British to snarl and snivel at ne¬ 
cessary restrictions. It is sometimes said to be injudicious to 
demur against Authority, even when grievances are both real and 
tiresome, whilst it has often been remarked that Government 
interference with business will be but temporary, and will he 
speedily relinquished. Signs are not wanting, however, that 
officialdom loves official control, and there is a deal of shaking 
and kicking to be done before the Trade can feel the freedom of 
its limbs.” 
QUITE A CONTBAST 
A cablegram from Vice Consul Nasmith, Brussels, re¬ 
ceived January lOlh, 1919 says:— 
“The Belgian Government has just given notice that 
the following articles may he imported without licenses: 
Horses, plants, trees, nursery stock, garden and forest 
seeds, seeds for fodder crops in sheaths or standing, etc., 
etc.” 
Quite a contrast to the action of our own government 
with its far reaching embargo which is to take effect 
June 1st, 1919. 
PROTEST AGAINST THE HORTICULTURAL IMPORT 
PROHIBITION 
By Henry A. Dreer. 
You are, of course, familiar with the recent ruling of 
the Federal Horticultural Board at Washington which 
prohibits, after June 1, 1919, the importation of all plants 
and bulbs, in which the Nursery, Seed and Florist trade 
is interested, excepting the following few items: Lily 
bulbs, Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus 
and Crocus—absolutely nothing else in the line of bulbs 
can he imported from any foreign country. 
In the line of plants you may bring in fruit-tree stocks, 
seedlings, cuttings and scions of fruit trees, and you may 
import Manetti, Multiflora and Rugosa Rose stocks for 
budding or grafting but absolutely nothing else in the 
way of plants. 
Do you realize how radical and far-reaching this em¬ 
bargo is, and how seriously it will affect, not only every 
importer, but every individual in the trade who handles 
bulbs, plants or cut flowers; from the largest importer 
down to the smallest grower, florist or dealer? 
There will be no Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Spireas, 
Araucarias, Dracaenas or Boxwoods. Orchids will only 
be a memory, and there will he missing in our stores and 
in our gardens, hundreds of other varieties of plants and 
cut flowers on which heretofore we have depended upon 
European sources and which were profitable for the 
American grower to develop and were a source of revenue 
to the retailer. 
Many of these subjects will never be produced in this 
country and such that, after years of preparation, may 
become developed here, will necessarily have to he sold at 
a price which will make them prohibitive to the average 
present purchaser of this class of stock. 
One of the peculiar points in this ruling of the Federal 
Horticultural Board, which we are unable to harmonize 
with the Board’s effort to prevent the risk of importing 
dangerous pests, is the fact that they consider it safe to 
import Manetti, Multiflora and Rugosa Roses for budding 
and grafting purposes but do not consider it safe to let 
these same roses come in with named varieties (such as 
Killarney, Ophelia, Radiance or other sorts) grafted or 
budded upon them. The root of the Manetti, the Multi¬ 
flora or the Rugosa remains the same, but the top will be 
that of the named variety, i. e. Killarney, Ophelia, Ra¬ 
diance or whatever the variety may be and it is absolutely 
impossible for an insect to be imported on the one and not 
on the other, so, why should these Rose-stocks be per¬ 
mitted to come in (in which only a few growers who 
graft or bud roses are interested or benefitted) and the 
named varieties, in which practically everyone who grows 
and sells plants is interested, be excluded? 
Furthermore, if it is' safe to import a Lily bulb, a Lily 
of the Valley, a Hyacinth, Tulip, Narcissus or Crocus, 
what infestation affects the hundreds of other bulbs that 
are excluded that justifies the Board to say, “You are not 
to bring in a Dahlia, Tuberous-rooted Begonia, Gloxinia, 
Gladiolus, Spanish Iris, Oxalis, Scilla, Snowdrop, Crown 
Imperial or other equally harmless bulb?” 
There have been two meetings of the Federal Horti¬ 
cultural Board at Washington, D. C., during the past six 
