[pbs] plant regulation
Robin Bell
rgb2 at cornell.edu
Mon Jul 27 21:56:03 EDT 2009
I'm not sure where the fault lies with the introduction of
pests......there are many villains, who were often simply
enthusiasts, more than enough to go around, for sure. However, I
think the example of kudzu illustrates the monomania about govt. that
I believe hinders useful responses rather than facilitating the
outcome that we all ( hopefully ) might like to see. The truth
regarding kudzu is somewhat more complex than Tony suggests:
" Second, the worst of our invasive plants were researched
and introduced intentionally by the US government (kudzu) ."
This from a Google search:
"While Kudzu was introduced to the United States in 1876 at
the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Countries
were invited to build exhibits to celebrate the 100th birthday of the
U.S. The Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden filled
with plants from their country. The large leaves and sweet-smelling
blooms of kudzu captured the imagination of American gardeners who
used the plant for ornamental purposes.
Florida nursery operators, Charles and Lillie Pleas, discovered that
animals would eat the plant and promoted its use for forage in the
1920s. Their Glen Arden Nursery in Chipley sold kudzu plants through
the mail. A historical marker there proudly proclaims "Kudzu
Developed Here."
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Soil Conservation
Service promoted kudzu for erosion control. Hundreds of young men
were given work planting kudzu through the Civilian Conservation
Corps. Farmers were paid as much as eight dollars an acre as
incentive to plant fields of the vines in the 1940s.
"Cotton isn't king in the South anymore.Kudzu is king!"Channing Cope
Kudzu Attacks AtlantaKudzu's most vocal advocate was Channing
Cope of Covington, Georgia who promoted use of the vine to control
erosion. Cope wrote about kudzu in articles for the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution and talked about its virtues frequently on his
daily WSB-AM radio program broadcast from his front porch. During the
1940s, he traveled across the southeast starting Kudzu Clubs to honor
what he called "the miracle vine."
Cope was very disappointed when the U.S. government stopped
advocating the use of kudzu in 1953."
So the Govt didn't apparently introduce it & it was promoted
vigorously by nurserymen & other advocates before the Govt did
anything about it, & that was, after everyone else, to promote it. In
fact the Govt was also the first to acknowledge its rampant behavior
& attempted to control it over the usual objections.
I don't see any other body that might be able to exercise
some sort of control over the introduction of potential pests, I
completely agree that it is unpredictable & barely rises to the level
of science at the moment, but with pressure, & discussion, we might
all be able to draft something better than what we have at the
moment. The only thing that is certain right now, is that the status
quo is not acceptable. If not getting every plant I want in the
future is the price, then I'm happy enough to pay it.
Robin Bell, Ithaca, NY
More information about the pbs
mailing list