THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
131 
Result of Meeting in Reference to Quarantine No. 37 
De})arlment of Agriculture, Washington, 
April 1, 1919. 
Mr. Thomas II. Meehan, 
x\eting Chairman, Legislative Committee, 
American Association of Nurserymen, 
Dresher, Pennsylvania. 
Dear Sir: 
As a result of the meeting in reference to Plant Quar¬ 
antine 37, which was held in my office on March 1, 1919, 
and which was attended by representatives of your As¬ 
sociation and also of the New York Florists’ Club Pro- 
h'sting Committee and of the Society of American Flor¬ 
ists, this whole subject has been thoroughly reconsidered. 
This was believed to he desirable, in order to determine 
whether the suggestions and objections in reference to 
the quarantine order, made at that meeting and at other 
times by certain individuals and associations, were such 
as to warrant any essential modification thereof. 
It has been definitely known, for many years, that 
plant diseases and insect pests are continually being in¬ 
troduced in this country through the importation of nur¬ 
sery stock and other plants and plant products and that 
the results have, in many instances, been disastrous over 
wide sections of the country. The so-called Plant Quar¬ 
antine Act of August 20, 1912 (37 U. S. Stats., at large, 
page 313), rejiresents tlie official recognition of this fact 
by Congress. Under the authority of this Act, the De- 
•partment has, from time to time, promulgated a number 
of quarantines restricting or prohibiting the importa¬ 
tion of certain plants and plant products found to have 
been the cause of disease and infestation. As a real 
remedy, this method has been found, in many cases, to be 
entirely inadeiiuate, because it is based, largely, on the 
principle of jiroviding against dangers after they have 
been discovered, when it was often too late, owing to the 
fact that the damage already had been done and the in¬ 
festation already had begun to spread. Such a method 
is in the nature of an attempt to cure rather than to pre¬ 
vent. On the other hand, attempts at prevention, instead 
of cure, have been made from time to time by provisions 
for inspection, either in foreign countries or, upon im¬ 
portation, by Federal offiicials or State authorities. But 
the method of inspection; as well as that of cure, has been 
found to be entirely inadequate in many cases. 
Largely because of the havoc which has been wrought 
by such inqiortations and also as the result of investiga¬ 
tions carried on by the Department and the definite scien¬ 
tific information received from reliable sources, it has 
been felt that something more comprehensive was needed 
than either a piecemeal quarantine, which begins the 
application of a remedy after the particular injury has 
begun to operate, or a system of inspection by ^^llich, in 
many cases, no matter how conscientious the inspectors 
may be, it is impossible to discover the harmful disease 
or pest. 
In illustration of the growing sentiment in the country 
lor an improvement over prevailing methods of prevent¬ 
ing the introduction of plant diseases through importa¬ 
tions, reference may he made to the resolution passed 
January 1, 1918, by the Section of Horticultural Insjiec- 
tion of the American Association of Economic Enfomo- 
logists, at its meeting in Pittsburgh. At that time re¬ 
commendations were made (1) for the prohibition of tin* 
importation of all nursery stock as defined in the Quar¬ 
antine Act of August 20, 1912, except under Federal 
quarantine regulations; (2) immediate, absolute em¬ 
bargo against nursery stock with soil around the roots; 
(3) ultimate prohibition of all kinds of nursery stock, 
after allowing suitable time for trade adjustment. 
Believing that the time had come to take definite steps 
along the lines suggested, the Bureau of Plant Industry 
was asked for information (1) as to the advisability of 
excluding from importation all ornamentals and other 
plants with soil about the roots; (2) as to the exclusion 
of all kinds of nursery stock from Asia, Africa, and other 
little known localities. In response to this request, the 
Bureau submitted a report on February 26, 1918, in 
which it was stated, among other things, that, in ordi'r 
to protect the country against dangerous jilant pests and 
diseases, the time seemed to be at hand “for the inaug¬ 
uration of a policy that would gradually result in the ex¬ 
clusion of all foreign nursery and florist stock.” 
Thereafter, on March 28, 1918, notice of a public hear¬ 
ing to he held May 28, 1918, was sent to all nurserymen 
on the mailing list of the Federal Horticultural Board 
and was ])ublished in the horticultural and florist trade 
papers, in order that suggestions of a practical nature 
might be made by private individuals or associations, 
whose business would be affected by a more comprehen¬ 
sive general quarantine, and by State officials or bodies 
interested in the protection which such a quarantine 
would afford. 
The hearing, for which notice was thus given, was 
held on the date specified and was largely attended by 
State officials and private individuals. The hearing, 
however, was very one-sided, for the opinions expressed 
were almost unanimous as to the wisdom of the proposed 
quarantine for the exclusion of diseased and insect bear¬ 
ing plants and plant products. Furthermore, many 
speakers favored a much more complete exclusion than 
that suggested in the tentative recommendations set forth 
in the notice of hearing. The letters received from nur¬ 
serymen and State and other officials, who were unable 
to attend the hearing, were likewise practically unan¬ 
imous with respect to the need of a much more compre¬ 
hensive and general restriction upon jilant importations 
than had ever been ])ut in force. 
Final action was not taken by the Department directly 
after this hearing; instead, the whole question was again 
taken under advisement and again thoroughly inves¬ 
tigated for a period of three months, during which time 
