Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-24
CHRISTMAS TREE PUZZLE
Dealers Hard Hit by the Threat
ened Quarantine.
4. $. Department Of Agriculture VIII
Keep Them on Anxious Seat until
October 3O--Fear That Moths
Infest Evergreens.

In vexation, says the Boston SUNDAY
Globe. They do not know where theJ
are at. They see ruin staring them Ii
the face. Many of thei' men are idle
Christmas trees are being spoiled by thu
carload. What's the matter?
short time ago the agricultural de
partment announced that 1t would holtt
hearing In Washington on October 81
on the question of placing a quarantine
on Christmas trees and evergreen boughs|
from any part Of New England which
Is affected by the brown tail or gypsy
moth. That's the matter.
The dealers do not know where they
are at because they do not know wha,I
the government is going to do. Thew
claim that If any action was going tel
be taken this year It ought to have heel
taken long ago and not at this late date
when the work of the season is we'll
under way.
Many of the dealers have to pay ou'
much money before they have any re
turn. Dealers in this line Of goods obtair
the trees in all sorts of ways. They lease
land, they let out contracts, and they
have their own lands Now they are won.
derlng whether to continue the outlay ir
ruin the entire business for one year and
will also cause the dead loss of money
spent in harvesting.
Efforts have been de to find out wha,
the agricultural department means by
quarantine and the reply has been tina,
the department does not know itself yet
The dealers are told to walt until after
October 80 That is too late. they say.
The agricultural department has the
State of Maine, for example, divided of
into the brown tail moth section and the
gypsy moth section. The dealers havs
asked If they can ship goods from the
brown tail section since the brown tail IL
less dangerous. The answer has been
that the department did not know itself
yet.
The claim of the dealers is that brown
tail and gypsy moths cannot be found on
evergreens and they claim that all this
talk about a quarantine on evergreens,
when moths do not exist in them, is 6
great injustice. They ask why the gov
eminent does not consider a quarantine
on apples where 1t is known. they claim
that the moths or their larvae exist.
One of the largest dealers in evergreen
like the other dealers. ship Christmas
trees by the carload from this city u
New York, Philadelphia and all the biz
cities of the middle West He is particu
larly incensed over this late. and what h,
considers needless. interference on thu
part of the government.
why. you have no idea" he said
how this is raising havoc with this in
dustry. The men simply do not know
what to do or where to turn.
II most certainly protest against any
quarantine being placed against Christ.
mas trees or evergreen boughs es-
pecially on those that come from that
part of the State of Maine only affected
by the brown tail moth. l have been
engaged In the business many years
and have always been looking for the
moths on the Maine evergreen trees
and have never yet found one nor ever
any larvae.
THE New York State agricultural de-
partment has for several years In
spected our trees In New York city and
has never yet found any moths or
larvae, but I have seen both moths and
larvae in barrels of apples and bags
of potatoes.
Il call myself an expert and con-
slider that the evergreen trees in Maine
are moth-proof l have worked some
in the gypsy moth section but more ir
the brown tail moth section, Etomol.
ogists and inspectors tell me that the
moths won't infest Christmas trees
Why did the department ever think Of
such a thing?
I4 1o,1o tv,ta 10
all the apples for moths? If so can all
the apples In a barrel be inspected
anyway? 1t would take thousands Of
inspectors. What is the government think
ing Of to place an inspection. or consider
pla cing an inspection. on an article wher
1t is not NECESSARY? 1t is very wrong: 70,
no more bother or expense should be
placed on the people of the country than
Is necessary.
Then too, 7 am going to protest nc
the government against any quarantine
being placed at this time, for a notice
of several months in advance should
have been given, Those engaged in the
business place their orders months in
advance and place their contracts with
the farmers several months ahead.
MEN were working In the woods pre-.
pairing their trees for next November
and December shipments when they first
learned through the newspapers regard
| ing the possibility of a quarantine, Many
fearing loss, are not working at TINT
| time. Such a quarantine, should II bs
enforced at this time. would cause great
hardship and loss TO hundreds, II not
| thousands of hard working Maine people
and il would ruin some.
Il have no doubt that the department
will come 10 a Just decision In the mat
| ter after it has all been threshed out.
| but the trouble lies in the fact that the
people in Maine should know right now
| where they stand and where the de-
partment stands. The delay has already
| been such that | very much doubt II
all the orders can be filled. This means
| that the city people will have to pay a
| higher price. Where trees cost n quarter
last year they may be a dollar this.
inspection is nothing but bother
anyway and in most cases 1t is a farce
| One time | was delivering some goods in
| another State and the trees were held ny
| for inspection while they were In the
| freight cars. go.a.
1T took so long for the, examination
not for the acHal looking over Of the
trees, but to get an inspector to come and
see them, that the merchants, who had
ordered the evergreens, refused to wait
| longer and bought elsewhere My trees
| laid there and spoiled. -1l
when ! say that examinations or In
| spections are a farce ! doonct mean Ia
| ri fleet on Mr.. Rogers. YIN has charge OF
| the work here, or any of his men But