December, ipip 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 13 



Obtaining New Fruit Stocks is Big Problem 



THE matter of obtaining or propa- 

 gating fruit stocks for the greatly 

 increased orchard plantings which will 

 undoubtedly be made in the near 

 future in this country, is an important 

 one and is now engaging the attention 

 of horticulturists, nurserymen and 

 fruitgrowers. In referring to this 

 situation at present, the Fruitman and 

 Gardener says: 



"The above-ground portion of your 

 fruit trees may be pure American, but 

 the underground portion is very likely 

 to be foreign. With the exception of 

 the apple and peach, most of the seed- 

 ling plants on which grafting or bud- 

 ding is done are imported, and even 

 with the apple, many nurserymen have 

 heretofore preferred to import apple 

 seedlings from France and to pay 

 more for them. However, attention 

 has been turned toward a solution of 

 the problem of fruit stock production 

 in this country, and all of the peach 

 stocks are now grown from seeds pro- 

 duced in America." 



The devastation of large areas in 

 France where fruit stocks were grown* 

 and the fact that it will take consider- 

 able time to start propagating and 

 grow stocks in Europe to an age where 

 they can be used is causing writers 

 on the subject to advocate that im- 

 mediate steps be taken toward propa- 

 gating home-grown stocks. 



"We are beginning to appreciate 

 more and more," says one of the plant 

 pathologists of the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, "that our 

 future successful fruit culture is in- 

 timately associated with the problem 

 of stocks. With the exception of the 

 grape, no far-reaching studies have 

 been made on stocks in this or any 

 other country. We have followed cer- 

 tain empirical practices in the past, 

 but as competition becomes greater 

 and the demand for the highest grades 

 of fruit and plant products increases, 

 we must know more of the actual re- 



lation of slocks to quality of product, 

 to the length of life of the tree or 

 plant, to adaptability to soil and cli- 

 mate, to resistance to disease and in- 

 sect attacks." 



One of the questions to be solved, 

 according to the Department of Agri- 

 culture, is the practicability of pro- 

 ducing in this country the millions of 

 ordinary api)Ie, pear, plum, and cherry 

 stocks which hitherto have been se- 

 cured largely abroad. Another need 

 is the systematic study of stocks with 

 a view to their improvement and better 

 adaptability to the wide variety of 

 conditions and needs that exist here 

 and that are likely to develop as the 

 fruit industry becomes more complex. 

 If fruit industries are to be main- 

 tained, the department thinks it is im- 

 perative that there be available full 

 supplies of the ordinary stocks, and it 

 is desirable to find or develop stocks 

 that may prevent some of the losses 

 from insects and diseases. 



"If stocks are to be produced in this 

 country to take the place of those 

 hitherto secured abroad," the state- 

 ment continues, "it would seem proper 

 that efforts should be made by the 

 Government to aid those who are anx- 

 ious to know where the work can best 

 be done and how it may be done to the 

 best advantage. The problems in- 

 volved are so complex that the private 

 interests can not well handle them. 

 The chief problems are to find regions 

 and soils in this country where stocks 

 may be commercially grown and to 

 demonstrate on a commercial scale 

 that such stocks are equal to or better 

 than those grown abroad. Correlated 

 with the problem of commercial stock 

 production is that of securing seeds 

 for slocks. There is need for develop- 

 ing our home supplies. This is a long- 

 time proposition, as there are few 

 recognized sources of supply here, 

 such as exist in Europe." 



The Effort to Economize in Spraying Materials 



IT is stated by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture that on 

 account of the present high price of 

 copper sulphate, the principal active 

 ingredient in bordeaux mixture, that 

 many who are compelled to use this 

 material in spraying are seeking a sub- 

 stitute. The specialists of the depart- 

 ment, who have taken this matter up, 

 stale that there is no substitute for 

 bordeaux for the purposes it is used 

 in the orchard, and further say that 

 it is the only reliable preventitive for 

 certain plant diseases which are so 

 well known that it is not necessary 

 to enumerate them. 



One of the most important things 

 in using commercial bordeaux is to 

 know its value. Methods of calculat- 

 ing the value of commercial bordeaux 

 mixtures have, therefore, been pub- 

 lished in Farmers' Bulletin 994, a copy 



of which can be obtained from the de- 

 partment at Washington. 



Every package of commercial bor- 

 deaux mixture carries a label on which 

 is given its content of copper. This 

 is usually given in percentage, and by 

 multiplying this percentage by 3.93 

 the result gives the amount of crystal- 

 lized copper sulphate, the bulletin ex- 

 plains. If the percentage is given in 

 terms of copper oxid, multiply by 

 S.l-l; if in copper hydroxid, multiply 

 by 2.56. In order to calculate the cop- 

 per sulphate when diluted ready for 

 application, multiply the number of 

 pounds of the concentrated bordeaux 

 mixture to be added to 50 gallons of 

 water by the percentage of copper 

 sulphate. 



Physical properties, such as adhe- 

 siveness, texture, spreading quality 

 and rate of settling, also are impor- 



BEST SERVICE- 

 UALITY a PRICES 



PERFECTION IN 



FRUIT 

 ULABELS 



%mn^Wirmi 



1423-24 NORTHWESTERN SANK BLDG. 



portUnd.oregon. 

 E.Shelley Morgan 



NORTHWESTERN MANAGER 



WE CARRY- AND CAN SHIP iN 24 

 HOURS-STOCK LABELS FOR PEARS,] 

 APPLES.CHERRIES S STRAWBERRIES. 



tanf factors in determining the effi- 

 ciency of bordeaux mixtures. A prep- 

 aration containing a large amount of 

 copper, but coarse and granular in 

 texture, with poor spreading and stick- 

 ing qualities, cannot be expected to 

 give good results in cases where a 

 good fungicide is required. To test 

 the physical properties, dilute the mix- 

 ture and place a small quantity in a 

 glass lube, and watch the speed with 

 which the solids settle to the bottom. 

 If the copper is held in suspension for 

 a great length of time the physical 

 properties of the mixture may be re- 

 garded as good. 



In order to reduce the cost of spray 

 material some growers are using a 

 weaker mixture than is commonly ad- 

 vised for the various diseases which 

 require bordeaux treatment. When 

 the disease attacks are mild a bor- 

 deaux mixture containing consider- 

 ably less copper sulphate than is com- 

 monly advised may give very good 

 control, provided its physical prop- 

 erties are good and it is thoroughly 

 applied, the bulletin states. When in- 

 fection is severe, weak mixtures 

 should be avoided, for the resultant 

 L)ss when they are used may much 

 more than offset the amount saved by 

 using the proper strength. 



The department advises that the use 

 of inferior spraying material or so- 

 called substitutes is a dangerous prac- 

 tice and an economy that growers 

 will do well to avoid. 



