-4- 



COID STORAGE OF STRAY/BERRY PLAIITS 



It is generally agreed that there is no better strawberry plant than 

 the well grown local product. However, much of the hajidicap of plants from 

 the Middle Atlantic States (due to differences in season) may be overcome with 

 proper handling. It has been found in New York State that plants dug at the 

 proper time (March in the Middle Atlantic States) shipped north immediately 

 and held in cold storage until planting time in the Worth produce a better 

 stand, earlier growth and earlier runner development than plants shipped at 

 the right time for planting in the North. 



Good apple cold storage conditions are ideal for such strawberry 

 plants, i.e., 28°-34° F. and 855^-90^ relative humidity. The package of 

 plants should be examined on arrival to make sure that they are moist. 'If 

 not, sprinkle them but do not soak the packing material as that may cut 

 off air circulation. Plants need not be removed from the bundles while in 

 cold storage, but make certain that they neither dry out nor that the temper- 

 ature gets high enough to permit grovrth to start. 



— A. P. French 



FURTHER C ORIENTS ON NURSERY PRACTICES 



Since last month's outburst against the unethical practioos of some 

 nurserymen, a few more items worthy of comment have come to mind. 



1. True-to-name Peach Varieties. It is true that peaches, as well as 

 other tree fruits, are examined for mixtures in the nursery row. However, 

 since it is im p ossible to p ositively identif y all peach varietie s in the 

 nursery row the inspection work with peaches is on a much less certain basis 

 than that with other tree fruits. This fact is annually called to the atten- 

 tion of all nurserymen who avail themselves of this service • Yet several of 

 them have so worded their catalogues as to give the impression that their 

 peaches are as positively true to name as are their other tree fruits. 



2. Method of Propagation. From the fruit grovrer's standpoint it makes 

 little difference whether air~apple tree is propagated by budding or by graft- 

 ing using piece root, whole root or an "old-hickory" method, nor does it 

 matter much Vvrhere they are grown. An individual nurseryman adopts a par- 

 ticular practice because that practice produces the most good nursery trees 

 under his conditions. Thus, a dozen Mcintosh trees of equal size from as 

 many sources and methods of propagation, will probably do equally well in 

 the orchard, regardless of the nurseryman's claims. 



3. Bud Spor ts and Superior Strains. That there are strains of some var- 

 ieties, especially "color strains, is an established fact, but unfortunately 

 most of these cannot be identified as different than the parent form in the 

 nursery rov;. Furthermore, there are probably more strains listed by nursery- 

 men than are actually recognized as distinctly different strains. One nur- 

 sery's Super Crimson Red Mcintosh may be the same thing or no better than 

 another concern's Double Red Mcintosh. The fruit differences between many 

 of these strains have not been definitely established as yet. 



