The Flowering Onion Question and America

Our excellent friends in America occasionally amuse themselves by playing clever little tricks on us that seem innocent to them, but which, if taken seriously, would sometimes threaten to ruin an entire region.
Oh, I know very well that the intention to harm is far from being in their plans. They helped France in a difficult time; they responded to the voice of Lafayette who, from the depths of his grave, had called them to the rescue. The struggles they had to endure for their freedom, the presence in the midst of the battles of the famous marquis, all the memories of the wars of independence returned to their minds, and they raised the formidable army that came to the aid of threatened liberty. These memories are still vivid, and despite immigrants of all origins, old American families treasure the tokens of friendship that Lafayette and his companions gave to the insurgents.
This puts us at ease when discussing a recent measure taken against coastal bulb growers, which is likely to cause great disruption among growers in the South of France, from La Ciotat to Menton.
Here's what it's all about: for some time now, the Americans have been asking our growers for the flowering onions they needed. Orders have been plentiful, and prices have reached levels that would have been hard to believe a few years ago.
Faced with this increase, American producers wondered if they might not, at some point, be able to dispense with these purchases by producing the famous onions at home. We have, they thought, climates equal to those of Provence, we produce citrus fruits like them, couldn't we grow the bulbs ourselves? And, to this end, they imported as many as they could; then, well equipped to wage war, they asked the Federal Horticultural Board in Washington, their Ministry of Agriculture, to enforce Quarantine No. 37, which banned the entry of daffodil bulbs into America, starting in 1926.
But it was necessary to spare French sensibilities, and it could not be admitted that this ban had a selfish purpose. Therefore, the Horticultural Board's leadership took as a pretext that Quarantine No. 37 would henceforth be applied to protect American crops against pests that could be introduced with imported onions. Hence the protests of Var horticulturalists and the appointment of a defense committee, headed by Mr. Trotobas, mayor of Ollioules, one of the centers of flowering onion cultivation. This committee held its meetings in Sanary, Carqueiranne, and Ollioules, before crowds of growers.
At the last meeting held in Toulon, senators and deputies, and many growers from the Var region were present; interested parties from the Alpes-Maritimes were present, and we noted Mr. Aussel, the distinguished secretary general of the French Horticultural Federation, and Mr. Belle, director of agricultural services for the Alpes-Maritimes. Before a large audience, Mr. Lemoyne, secretary of the committee, presented the issue with great clarity, noting that it was necessary to assist the phytopathological service headed by Mr. Poirault, whom horticulturists know well, and to do everything possible during the few months remaining before the ban is complete, to send only perfectly healthy bulbs to America, so that the management of the Horticultural Board could not invoke the disease of these bulbs to justify this ban.
That is the issue; the Government is dealing with it; it will be discussed at the Harlem Congress where Mr. Aussel will defend our growers; it will also be discussed at a congress to be held soon in Washington and where a French technician, Mr. Soulier, will defend the interests of our region. It will be based on visits to our crops by Belgian, Dutch, English, and other scientists who, having seen the crops, declared them healthy and that our bulbs could be imported to America without fear of contamination for existing crops there.
Let us hope that our American friends will come to a better understanding and accept the arguments put forward by the Var Horticulturalists' Defense Committee and all those who have studied this important issue.

Claude Brun, Director of Réveil Agricole; Member and former President of the Var General Council.