IDENTIFICATION OF APPLE VARIETIES 81 



The Detection of Mixture in the Nursery Row 



It has been the observation of the writers that practically all nurseries 

 contain occasional mixtures in the row. Many of the varieties are practically 

 or entirely free from stray trees, but in at least a few, one may find odd 

 varieties mixed in. In budded stock stray varieties usually occur in groups 

 of about five to ten representing the buds from a single bud stick, but in 

 grafted trees strajs are more apt to occur as single trees and so closer 

 observation is required to find them. 



Some nurserymen say they eliminate all these odd trees when the stock is 

 being put in storage, graded and shipped. No doubt a great many are dis- 

 covered for many nursery workers become very expert in recognizing vari- 

 eties as they handle them in storage. Yet some varieties are difficult to dis- 

 tinguish when the trees are in the dormant condition; and the fact that so 

 many misnamed trees reach the fruit grower is good evidence that many es- 

 cape observation at such times. 



It is impossible or at least impracticable to prevent stray trees from get- 

 ting into the nursery rows. Even trees propagated from bearing trees" have 

 been found to contain mixtures. The only way to eliminate misnamed trees 

 from the nursery row is to go over the rows carefully when the trees are in 

 foliage. Where mixtures are known to exist or are strongly suspected, several 

 examinations at diflFerent times during the summer may be desirable, for 

 some mixtures are more easily seen at one stage of development, others at a 

 different stage. 



Often the first thing that catches the eye and raises the suspicion of mixed 

 varieties is a difference in size or form of the top. The odd variety is taller 

 or shorter, or it is more spreading or more upright. In many cases it is a 

 dift'erent appearance of the foliage. The leaves of the odd trees may be either 

 more or less folded, thus showing more or less of the grayish under surface; 

 or the leaves are larger or smaller or differ in the shade of green; or the 

 surface may have a different texture. 



Such differences as are suggested above are, if at all well marked, compar- 

 atively easy to detect. Most of the bad mixtures found in practical experience 

 in the nurseries are not so easy. This is especially true of certain common 

 and persistent mixtures as those of varieties of the Winesap group. In these 

 more difficult cases attention should be directed not only to the size and form 

 of the top and the general appearance of the foliage, but also to the leaf 

 serrations, the amount of pubescence, and the number and nature of the lenti- 

 cels. It is also heljiful to compare bark color of the trunks. Color characters 

 are somewhat uncertain, being much aft'ected by growing conditions and stage 

 of development or maturity; but a positive dift'erence of bark color among 

 trees in a single row, especially of a group of trees representing a single bud 

 stick, is pretty good evidence of a mixture. 



Before concluding that an odd-appearing tree is a dift'erent variety, one 

 should ask himself whether the difference can be accounted for in any other 

 way. This is esj)ecially true in the case of a single tree in a row of grafts. 

 This difference may be due to mechanical injury, to insect injury such as lice 

 or leaf hoppers, or to disease. If these possible causes of the difference can 

 be excluded, one should next look for intermediates. If the tree in question 

 is of the same variety as the rest of the row, it should be possible to find 



