THE MONTHLY 111 I.I 1.1 IV L99 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF NURSERY STOCK. 



By A. L. Wisher, Loma Rica Nursery. Grass Valley, Cal. 



Among tin- several subjects thai are of practical importance to the 

 orchardisl today, the improvemenl of nursery stock is one that never 

 fails to interest both the man who plants the tree or vine and the man 

 who propagates it. On the proposition that the improvement of 

 nursery stock is in everj sense desirable, it we are to progress toward 

 perfection in our horticultural endeavors, orchardisl and nurseryman 

 alike find al least one point upon which they are in complete accord. 



While the orchardisl can. and does, directly contribute toward this 

 improvemenl his opportunities are to some degree limited, and it is 

 rarely that he actually calls into existence a new variety or improves 

 an old one. His contribution to our progress must largely consist in 

 observing the behavior of the hundreds of thousands of seedlings and 

 the mutations and bud-sports— Nature's own chance-children — that are 

 continually coming under his notice. In the past most of our acquisi- 

 tions in tin' way of new varieties may be credited to observant orchard- 

 ists the world over, and while these men were often humble and obscure 

 they have placed us in their everlasting debt. 



In these latter years another class of men has added immeasurably 

 to our horticultural wealth. These are the plant breeders, who. with 

 more or Less definite plan and an intelligent purpose, have scored a 

 kable advance over Mother Nature's haphazard ways of plant 

 improvement. We here find the names of such men as Hansen, Munson, 

 l'.urbank. Etter, Sharpe and others, all of whom command our admira- 

 tion when we contemplate their patient industry and perserverance. 



Still another factor in the improvement of our orchards and nurseries 

 has been the work of both scientific and lay investigators in assembling 

 from the far coiners of the earth desirable varieties and new species. 

 To such institutions as the Arnold Arboretum and to such men as 

 (iillet. Rock, Roeding, Meyer and Coates, we owe much for accomplish- 

 ments in this direction. 



Of no less importance is the progress made by that body of scientists 



attached to the Deparl nt oi' Agriculture and to the several stale 



universities and experiment stations. These men now have under way 

 many experiments dealing with such matters as improvements in 

 root stocks, designed to meet every condition of soil, moisture and the 

 underground attacks of insects and plant diseases. Naturally such 

 experiments must usually he carried on for a considerable period before 

 wholly conclusive results are accomplished. One of these experiments 

 that lias been in progress long enough to permit definite conclusions 

 is that of the Southern Oregon Experiment Station, where Professor 

 Reimer has been working for some years with many species of pears 

 in an endeavor to find a stock that would be free from the disadvantages 

 of the French seedling. 



As is well known to most orchardists, the French root is subject to 

 great injury from attacks of the pear-root aphis and is particularly 

 susceptible to pear blight. As it suckers readily and these suckers 



