No. 1, October, 1920] HORTICULTURE 19 



variety. — The sections which produced the stocks on which American fruits were worked have 

 been practically destroyed and it has resulted in a tremendous increase in cost of stocks in 

 U. S. A., as great as from 85 or SO to .?50 and SGO per thousand for apple seedlings. The 

 bearing orchards are also destroyed in many sections which were occupied by the enemy. — 

 J. H. Gourlcy. 



137. Whitten, J. C. An investigation in transplanting. Missouri Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. 

 Bull. 33. 73 p. [1919.] 1920. — Invest igal inns covering a period of 10 years show that under 

 Missouri conditions fall transplanting is to be preferred to spring transplanting in the case 

 of many deciduous fruit trees and shrubs. This is due mainly to the fact that the fall trans- 

 planted trees generally form some new roots during the winter and consequently are in a posi- 

 tion to begin growth in early spring; while spring transplanted trees must wait until the soil 

 warms up sufficiently for root growth before they can become established. If the top starts 

 to vegetate much before roots are formed the new shoots dry out and die. It is for this reason 

 that there is frequently a comparatively heavy mortality on the part of spring-set trees. Late 

 spring transplanting gives as good results as early spring transplanting, if the trees are dor- 

 mant at the time of setting. Similarly, late fall transplanting gives results as good or better 

 than those attending early fall transplanting. The formation of new roots by transplanted 

 trees is dependent to a great extent upon proper soil temperature. In the case of the fall 

 set trees new roots are formed first from the lowest roots of the transplanted tree because 

 temperature is apt to be more favorable at those depths; in the case of spring-transplanted 

 trees root formation first takes place nearer the surface. This suggests one danger from too 

 deep setting in the spring. Some root formation takes place below the frost line throughout 

 the winter. Trees that are "heeled in" during the winter may be held dormant for late trans- 

 planting by lifting from the ground and "heeling in" again, whenever their buds show signs 

 of starting. The roots of deciduous fruit trees and shrubs are very tender to frost while they 

 are out of the ground and great care should be exercised to prevent their freezing. The 

 small, fibrous roots of ordinary deciduous fruit trees usually die when they are transplanted 

 and it is better to prune them away than to attempt to save them. — V. R. Gardner. 



138. Wiggans, C. C. Some factors favoring or opposing fruitfulness in apples. Missouri 

 Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 32. 60 p. [1918.] 1920.— A study was made of the performance 

 of individual spurs of a number of apple varieties to determine, if possible, the factors asso- 

 ciated with productiveness and unproductiveness. The conclusion is reached that individual 

 spur performance is not dependent mainly upon such external factors as soil or seasonal vari- 

 ation in moisture, but rather to conditions within the tree or even the spur itself. Some 

 apple varieties form a group in which the individual spurs are capable of fruiting every year; 

 other varieties form a group in which the individual spurs seem to lack this ability. The 

 habit of alternate bearing possessed by certain varieties seems closely associated with this 

 performance characteristic of the individual spur. The sap concentration of bearing spurs 

 averaged somewhat higher than that of non-bearing spurs. Non-bearing spurs have more, 

 but not larger, leaves than bearing spurs. Girdling increased sap density above, and de- 

 creased it below, the point of girdling, the greatest influence being found comparatively close 

 to the point of injury. In pot cultures with soil and sand and using several varieties, nitrogen 

 influenced wood growth and fruit bud formation, while no influence of either potash or phos- 

 phorus could be detected. Differences in the sap concentration of leaf and twig sap of trees 

 growing under different tillage methods were comparatively small. Training trees to an 

 extremely high head removes an unnecessary amount of vegetative growth, reduces the num- 

 ber of fruit spurs during the early life of the tree, and consequently delays the time when 

 the tree comes into bearing. — V. R. Gardner. 



139. Wolff, W. H. Influence of the prevention of leaf blights on the growth of nursery 

 cherries and pears. Amer. Nurseryman 31 5 : 110. May, 1920.— Data are given showing that 

 57.3 per cent of cherry trees sprayed in the nursery with Bordeaux mixture were over 3 feet 

 in height, while only 23.5 per cent of the unsprayed trees, used as check, attained a height of 3 

 feet. Similar results were secured with Bartlett pear trees.— .7. H. Gourley. 



