Re: [gardeners] Smuggling plants
Michael Bailes (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 31 Jan 1998 16:41:52 +1100
At 7:45 PM +1100 29-1-98, George Shirley wrote:
>At 07:14 PM 1/29/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>I have to confess to having smuggled a few plants into the U.s. - the one
>>time was a pomegranite cutting from Italy. Guess seeds from Kenya wouldn't
>>count, would they? That is one of the more frustrating things for us and
>>traveling is not to be able to bring home some of the plants.
>> our host for our week stay in Sommerset last summer said if we
>>washed all
>>the soil off the roots, we could carry them home with us. We didn't try to
>>take any plants back, however, because we had another 9 days in Scotland.
>>Do you all know if this is so?
>>Barb Rothenberger
>>Columbia, Mo,
>>
>In early 1987 I ordered about 200 native orchids from my old supplier
>outside Bangkok. Had a phyto-sanitary certificate and all. APHIS torched
>them in Hawaii on the way through. Sent me a nice note that they had done
>it and that the certificate was suspect. Shucks, Mr. Chou was probably the
>ONLY grower in Thailand that used an honest inspector. Decided I didn't
>want to grow orchids any more.
>
>George
Sadly George my experience of customs has made me bitter too.
After 6 months of paying 40c a day per plant.+ filling in two phonebooks of
forms
I arrived on the day plants were to be released to be told "O they died!"
I have also seen the most extraordinary collections of rare plants in a
customs officer's garden.
If governments stopped using a policing model and used a helping model
instead less people would smuggle.
ie "Your a criminal, w'll make you suffer"
to
"How can we help you get these plants in safely so no disease comes with them."
PS
i believe tissue culture test tubes are acceptable to many customs
Michael Bailes, The Fragrant Garden, Portsmouth Road, Erina. N.S.W. 2250
Australia. (OZ) Int fax 61 243 651979 Phone 61 243 677322
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