Packing materials for nursery stock, plants, and seeds

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine
Washington, D.C.

February 27, 1935.

B. E. P. Q.--369


PACKING 'MATERIALS FOR 1UURSERY STOCK, PLAITS, AND SEDS
(Effective MJar. 4, 1935; supersedes H. B.-*132)


All packing materials employed in connection with importations
of nursery stock and other plants and seeds under quarantine No. 37
are subject to approval as to such use by the Bureau of Entomology and
Plant Quarantine.

GENERAL PACKING MATERIALS FOR hKTRSERY STOCK, PLANTS, A17D SEEDS

Such materials as sphagnum, ground peat, coconut fiber, osmunda
fiber, buckwheat hulls, cereal straw (except rice straw), cereal chaff
(except rice chaff), excelsior, shavings, sawdust, and charcoal, are
authorized for use with nursery stock, plants, and seeds generally,
provided they are free from sand, soil, or earth and have not been
previously used as packing or otherwise with living plants.

Packing materials other than those specifically mentioned may
be authorized when it has been determined that their use does not in-
volve a risk of introducing insect pests and plant diseases.

SOIL AUTHORIZED AS PACKING FOR BULBS, CO-14S, -UTS, AND SEEDS

Regulation 7, Quarantine No. 37, provides that the requirements
as to freedom from sand, soil, or earth shall not apply to sand, soil,
or earth used for packing the articles enumerated in items Nos. 1, 4,
and 5 of regulation 3 When such sand, coil, or earth has been previously
sterilized or otherwise safeg uarded in accordance with methods pre-
scribed by the Bureau of Entomologfy and Plant Quarantine under the super-
vision of an authorized inspector of the country of origin, such steri-
lization or safeguarding to be certified to by the duly authorized
inspector of such country of origin. This provision is alno extended
to bulbs and corms imported under special permit under regulation 14,
It should be emphasized that the use of sterilized soil and of naturally
sterile soil as described below is not authorized for plants or plant
products other than bulbs, corms, nuts, and seeds.

(1) The prescribed method of sterilization is a- follows:

The sand, soil, or earth must be brought ti a temperature of




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1000 C. and held at or above that temperature for a period of 1 hour.
Any method which will maintain the heat throughout the whole mass at
the required temperature for this length of time will be satisfactory
to the Bureau. The sterilization must be performed. under the supervision
of a duly authorized inspector of the country of origin and must be cer-
tified to by such inspector.

(2) Under the provisions of regulation 7 for the use as pack-
ing with bulbs, corms, seeds, and nuts, of soil which has been other-
wise, treated the foll-owing are authorized:

(a) Subsoil from Japan, collected and handled
under the supervision of the Imperial Plant
Quarantine Station at Yokohama, Japan, when
certified by the director of that station that
the subsoil has been taken from at least 2 feet
below the surface, and that it has been sifted,
dried, and stored so as to prevent contamination by
insects and diseases.

(b) Dune sand from Belgium and the Netherlands, taken
from a depth of 5 feet or mote below ,the surface
and so certified by an inspector of the phyto-
sanitary service of the country concerned.

(c) Coral sand from Bermuda, uncontaminated by surface
soil, and certified as such by the Director of
Agriculture of Bermuda.





LEE A. STRONG,
Chief, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine.