PROCEEDINGS OP THE WINTER MEETING. IB 



CHOICE AND TREATMENT OF NURSERY STOCK. 



Mr. A. G. GuLLEY of Michigan Agricultural College: Were I about 

 to select stock for a large apple orchard, I would find what varieties were 

 suited to the locality and then correspond with reputable nurserymen to 

 learn the cost. The cheapest offer would not necessarily be the best one 

 to accept, nor need the price per tree be the same for each variety. Apple 

 trees should not be more than two or three years old, else they can not be 

 headed low enough. Pear and plum stock should not be more than one 

 year old, for the same reason. "Extra size" and "bearing age" stock are 

 humbugs. Stock which nurserymen offer at a sacrifice, as a rule should 

 not be taken, though this is not always the case, especially with peach 

 stock, in which there is often a change of fashion in varieties. An objec- 

 tion to Maryland or Delaware peach trees is their liability to yellows. 

 The trees are usually large and fine looking, but yellows is prevalent 

 everywhere in that region and the nursery stock is very likely to be 

 infected. No better peach trees can be had than those grown in Michigan. 

 They are stockier and have better roots, but up to date we have not grown 

 enough to supply the home demand. I would choose Ohio trees next. 

 Those sold from Rochester, N. Y., are not grown there and the varieties 

 are not what we want. This does not apply so much to apples. As a rule 

 buy your stock in the fall; yet if you buy in New York, you are not likely 

 to get good roots on fall-dug trees, pear especially, though late fall orders 

 may be good in this respect, because the rush of the season is then over 

 and you may get trees that were not "stripped." Heal them in rather 

 than keep them in a cellar. By the latter process the roots are likely to 

 become dry. Place the roots in a trench, lay the tops down and bury them 

 half way up. Take them out early and stand them up, if not ready to 

 plant; but it is best to plant early. 



Mr. Garfield: Myself and a neighbor were about to join and buy 

 some nursery stock. But the neighbor wanted to buy of a big house 

 because he could get the stock a little cheaper. He did so, while I bought 

 of a smaller firm I knew, paid a little more, and got far better trees. 

 My neighbor had trouble in setting, for the trees were of bad quality and 

 there were miscounts in the numbers. 



Mr. Morrill : Too many growers are unbusinesslike in buying trees. 

 They too readily take the word of agents and buy of them instead of 

 corresponding with nurserymen or learning at such meetings as this. 

 They let the dealer plan their business, and the dealer buys uj) cheap 

 surpluses of any sort and labels them according to his orders. Some 

 nurserymen will not keep an agent in one place more than three years. 

 Then they shift agents, and the new man claims his predecessor was 

 discharged because he was tricky. A man who is swindled in buying 

 apple trees is swindled for ten years. So I advise, never buy of an agent 

 nor a dealer. You can easily get into communication with honorable and 

 reliable nurserymen. Never permit substitution. 



President Lyon indorsed these ideas. He has never bought a tree of 

 an agent and probably never will buy one. Go or write to good 

 nurserymen, and have the variety you want or take nothing. Avoid 

 getting very large trees, simply because they are large. Head them low. 



Mr. Garfield: First-class one- and two-year-old trees can not be had 

 for much less than three-year prices. 



Mr. J. B. HouK of Ludington: I am out $30 on " ironclad " and " extra 



