FACTORS IN FRUIT GROWING SECTIONS. 27 



Age of nursery stock to buy. 



(a) As a rule young, thrifty nursery stock is to be pre- 

 ferred. The tendency among beginners is to use stock which 

 is too old. 



(b) Old plants are much more injured by moving than 

 those that are young and often give poorer results. 



Where to buy. As nursery stock cannot be fully judged by 

 its appearance as easily as many other lines of merchandise, 

 buyers are very dependent upon the representations made to 

 them by the parties from whom they purchase. As a rule, it J3 

 desirable to buy of the nearest reliable man who will furnish what 

 is wanted at a fair price. Purchasers will often find it advan- 

 tageous to deal directly with the principal instead of through 

 his agent. Expect to pay a fair price and be suspicious of bar- 

 gain counter nursery stock, for the buyer in any case is greatly 

 dependent upon the honesty of the seller for the genuineness 

 of his stock. You cannot always tell what it is by its appear- 

 ance. It may not even be true to name. 



Shapes of trees. 



(a) The general public wants a tree that is of good form 

 and the nurs-erymen prefer to grow that kind. 



(b) Some of our best varieties are so crooked that they do 

 not look well and hence have not been pushed by our nursery- 

 men. 



(c) The difference in the habits of trees can be easily 

 seen in any orchard of many varieties. The upright form of the 

 Tetofsky apple is in marked contrast with the spreading form 

 of the Roxbury Russett. The spreading form of the Wild 

 Goose plum is very different from that of the Lombard. A per- 

 son who is very familiar with the appearance of certain varie- 

 ties of pears or apples can easily separate them from other 

 kinds by the appearance of the tree even when devoid of foliage. 

 From this the impression should not be taken that all fruit 

 trees m/ay be distinguished from each other by their forms, 

 color of bark and other characteristics, for while a person of 

 much experience in this line may thus distinguish many kinds, 

 it is quite out of the question to separate the members of all 

 our long lists of fruits in such a way. 



