February, 1921 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 15 



parts of trees of known type, vigor and 

 productivity. Scores of such opinions 

 may be obtained from other growers 

 of like experience. There are many 

 horticulturists, to be sure, who are 

 taking the opposite side and declaim 

 the idea. The many and extensive in- 

 vestigations conducted by several agri- 

 cultural experiment stations in the 

 United States and Canada are of par- 

 ticular significance in this respect. With 

 but a few exceptions they have given 

 invariably negative results. 



In view of the present widespread 

 interests among fruit growers of the 

 Northwest in setting out new orchards 



and the current activities of the Cali- 

 fornia growers respecting "selected" 

 buds, it seems to be timely that the 

 question of pedigreed or selected trees 

 should be given a careful considera- 

 tion. It may be well then to ask where 

 we stand on this question. What infor- 

 mation has been precipitated by horti- 

 culturists and plant breeders regarding 

 the value and practicability of bud se- 

 lection of horticultural plants and par- 

 ticularly so of deciduous fruit trees? 

 How much is there in it anyway? 



The subject leads us straight to the 

 consideration of the nature and fre- 

 quency of bud variations. It is of com- 



Use International Tillage Tools for Safe 

 and Profitable Orchard Cultivation 



No doubt you appreciate the necessity for cultivating 

 your fruit trees and small fruits just as much as culti- 

 vating any row crop such as potatoes, corn, etc. Weeds 

 are the enemy of big yields, no matter what the crop. And 

 the Disk Harrow is the enemy of weeds and conserver of 

 moisture. 



The International Orchard Disk Harrow is the ideal 

 implement for orchard cultivation, because it is especi- 

 ally designed for this work. The frame is hung low and 

 the disk gangs covered with broad curved sheet metal 

 shields which prevent the disks from injuring low-hang 

 ing branches or fruit. The gangs are reversible for La- 

 throw or outthrow and can be set for ridging or hilling. 

 An extension frame can be furnished to permit cultiva- 

 tion under very low-hanging foliage. 



Safe and profitable orchard cultivation requires an 

 implement designed especially for orchard work. That is 

 why we strongly recommend the International Orchard 

 Disk to all fruit growers. Write the Chicago address for 

 literature on the subject of good tillage tools. Depend on 

 the International dealers for efficient tillage implements 

 and for uniformly % good service. 



International Harvester Company 



OF AMERICA 



(INCORPORATED) 



CHICAGO U.S.A. 



Cheyenne, Wyo. 

 8. Cal. Portland. Or 



an Francisco. Cal. 



Denver. Colo. Helena, 



!. Salt Lake City. Utah 



Spokane. Wash. 



mon knowledge that no two trees are 

 exactly alike in an orchard, as no two 

 buds or fruits are the same on a tree. 

 Modifications or variations in nature 

 are the rule, not the exception. This is 

 true with all plants and parts thereof. 

 It is due primarily to the unstability, 

 change, and hence continuous differ- 

 ence in both the internal and external 

 environment of the plant. Most of these 

 modifications are, however, so small 

 that they are of no particular signifi- 

 cance to the fruitgrower. In fact they 

 are a blessing to all of us, for what 

 dreadful monotony would there be if 

 plants of a certain kind or variety and 

 their fruits would be exactly alike. 



Sometimes, however, variations of 

 this type are of such a degree that they 

 may be very striking and quite valuable 

 to the gruit grower. The exact causes and 

 reasons of such cumulative and ex- 

 pressive variations are not known, all 

 one can tell is that they are the results 

 of impressive and striking changes of 

 the environment. In literature, such 

 variations are referred to as "discon- 

 tinuous variations," "somatic vari- 

 ations," or less pretentious terms are 

 used, such as "fluctuating variations," 

 or simply "modifications" or "fluctu- 

 ations." Technically of course more or 

 less clear cut differences could be 

 drawn regarding the proper use of 

 these terms, for our purposes, however, 

 it looks as if the last two terms would 

 be as good as any and would convey 

 the proper meaning. Hence, because 

 of their general instability, we shall 

 call variations of this type fluctuations 

 or modifications. 



Fluctuations may be exhibited by any 

 part of the plant, stem, branches, 

 leaves, buds, blossoms, fruits, etc. They 

 may appear in various forms. The 

 fruit may be larger or smaller in size, 

 or may exhibit a modification in form, 

 color, or time of maturity. The eating 

 or keeping quality may have changed. 

 Then, of course, the tree itself or part 

 of it may be so modified that it will 

 bear prolific crops or remain unpro- 

 ductive. Recently it has been shown 

 that because of fluctuating variations, 

 trees may be changed from a condition 

 of self-fertility to that of self-sterility 

 and vice-versa. These are but a few il- 

 lustrations. 



Concluded in next issue. 



Renfrew Portable 

 Weighing Machine 



Read what this man says about it: 

 I do not need this scale one month to 

 use to tell you my opinion about it. I 

 have used the same scale in Canada for 

 several years, when I came into the 

 United States three years ago. I have 

 been looking always for it, till I saw your 

 .id., ami you know I ordered II 

 away. This letter proves you plenty that 

 the Renfrew weighing machine is of'entire 

 satisfaction to me. fours truly, 



.1. M. Janssen, 

 Box 35. Route 1. Bend, nregon. 



Weighs a 1-pound chicken or a 



POUnd a ninial Willi ;nvill;h'y. 



DEALERS WANTED 



J.C.ROBINSON CO. 



56 First Street PORTLAND, OREGON 



