430 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF NURSERY STOCK.* 



By A. L. WiSKBR, Loma Rica Nursery, Grass Valley, California. 



Among the several subjects that are of practical importance to the 

 orchardist today, the improvement of nursery stock is one that never 

 fails to interest i»oth 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 every sense desirable, if we are to progress toward perfection 

 in our horticultural endeavors, orchardist and nurseryman alike find at 

 least one point upon which they are in complete accord. 



While the orchardist can, and does, directly contribute toward this 

 improvement 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 the 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 

 remarkable advance over Mother Nature's haphazard ways of plant 

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

 Burbank, Etter, Sharpe and others, all of whom command our admira- 

 tion when we contemplate their patient industry and perseverance. 



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 corners of the earth desirable varieties and new species. 

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

 Gillet, 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 Department of Agriculture and to the several state 

 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 be carried on for a considerable period before 

 wholly conclusive results are accomplished. One of these experiments 



♦Address before the Forty-Ninth State Fruit Growers Convention, Napa, Cal., 

 November, 1916. 



Note. — In view of the fact that the subject of proper root stocks for our fruit trees 

 is of so great importance, we are publishing this exceedingly interesting article by 

 Mr. A. L. Wisker, of Grass Valley, who has long been identified with those progres- 

 sive nurserymen and fruit growers who have been endeavoring to accomplish some- 

 thing in this field of research. The inembers of the fruit growers' convention wliich 

 was recently held in Napa recognizing the necessity of further investigation passed a 

 resolution asking the State Commissioner of Horticulture to appoint a committee of 

 five to take up the matter of importing root stocks with the United States Department 

 of Agriculture and the University of California. In accordance with this resolution 

 I have appointed the following committee: C. W. Beers, A. L. Wisker, B. B. Meek, 

 James Mills and Harry P. Stabler. — G. H. HECKB. 



