-5- 



4. Renaming . The superlatives and coined words used by some nurserymen 

 as a part of the names of their varieties is bad enough, but when a nursery- 

 man deliberhtely renames a variety, it is just plain fraud. Fortunately, such 

 cases are in the minority, but several have occurred in the past few years. 



5. Substitution . One of the most unethical practices of still too large 

 a number of nurserymen is that of substitution. Fortunately, this is practiced 

 less on the commercial fruit grower than on the amateur, but any substitution 

 is too much. YJhether a person orders 100 Fredonia grape vines or only one he 

 is entitled to receive what he ordero.. He doesn't want the nurseryman to 

 send him a Moore's Early and tell him that it is just as good as Fredonia. 

 Even the average amateur knows as much as the average nurseryman about the 

 merits, defects and adaptability of varieties in his location. 



Far v/orse than acknowledged substitution is the common practice of 

 deliberately re-labeling varieties to fit the order. Some nurserymen care 

 little about having their pears, plums, and sweet cherries inspected for 

 trueness-to-name, because "they mostly go out in small orders anyway," mean- 

 ing that the most important consideration when filling small orders is to 

 accept the customer's money and send him something. One local amateur after 

 getting mislabeled tress from three apparently reputable nursery concerns 

 asked in disgust, "Aren't there any honest people in the nursery business?" 



— A. P. French 



FERTILIZER NEEDS OF ORCHARD TREES 



Recommendation of the proper fertilizer applications for orchards is 

 difficult. There can be no doubt that nitrogen is needed in most orchards, 

 but the need of other elements is often in doubt. We have learned that many 

 orchards need magnesium, and boron deficiences have been found. There are 

 probably a few orchards that need potash. Proof of need for other elements 

 in Massachusetts orchards has not been established, but such may exist. These 

 statements refer to immediate benefits to the trees. There may be indirect 

 benefits from a "complete fertilizer" and also lime. These will build up 

 organic matter in the soil. If sulfur sprays and dusts increase soil acidity 

 so that the pH is around 5 or lower, it must be bad for the trees. 



Some orchardists use only nitrogen; others a complete fertilizer. 

 This difference in practice is obviously not closely related to differences 

 in orchard conditions. There is little money wasted in buying nitrogen, but 

 how much of the extra cost for phosphorus and potash comes back to the grower 

 by increased returns for his crop? Perhaps somo growers profit from a com- 

 plete fertilizer while others do not. How can vife toll which is which? 



There is increasing evidence that a chemical analysis of the leaves 

 may prove the most dependable basis for making fertilizer recommendations. 

 Some progress has been made toward establishing minimum percentages of the 

 different elements. Trees having a lov/er content are likely to show a char- 

 acteristic leaf scorch or other evidence of a deficiency. It may well be 

 that trees suffer from too little magnesium or potassium before leaf scorch 

 is evident. An analysis of the leaves might enable the orchardist to prevent 

 the leaf scorch rather than cure it. This would be a great advantage, es- 

 pecially with magnesium deficiency which is slow of correction. 



