BuEEAXJ OF Agbicultuee 499 



that buds or scions taken from these trees stand a better chance of 

 producing others that ■(vill bear regular crops of fruit above the 

 average than if the stock was propagated from scions taken from 

 the ordinary orchard pruning ? 



This development company had one of its horticulturists visit all 

 of the principal orchard districts of the Pacific Northwest, and when 

 he heard of an orchard or tree producing large crops regularly, of 

 especially good fruit, he investigated the reports. Where these 

 claims were substantiated, he secured the exclusive rights to propa- 

 gate from that tree and marked it with a numbered metal tag. Scions 

 were only taken from trees where the owners would make affidavit 

 to the crop produced for at least three years back. 



Every precaution was taken to prevent the scions getting mixed. 

 The number of the tree, with its history, and the name and address 

 of the owner, was registered. Bach package of scions was care- 

 fully tied up separately and sealed with wax and numbered to cor- 

 respond with the register number. The seals were broken only by 

 the foreman in charge of the grafting room, and scions from two 

 trees were not allowed on the table at the same time. Like precau- 

 tion was extended to the nursery rov/ and then to the trees when 

 planted in the orchard. Each orchard tract was carefully platted and 

 the plat registered, the same registry number being used throughout. 

 When these trees come into bearing, it will be very easy to trace 

 back and see if there is anything to heredity in fruit. 



Some nurseries now are advertising pedigreed trees. If we are 

 willing to pay the price for the extra care, in time we should have 

 orchards in which every tree should produce equal to the best we are 

 now growing. The price of nursery stock is such a, small proportion 

 of the cost of growing an orchard that many growers feel that it is 

 money well spent, even if the cost is ten times that of ordinary 

 stock. Perhaps all of us cannot yet demand pedigreed trees, but we 

 can insist that they be propagated from bearing trees that are true 

 to type. 



When I bought a quantity of trees, I had the nurseryman sign 

 a contract agreeing to top work, at his own expense, any of the trees 

 that were not true to name when they came into bearing. Under 

 such a contract the seller will be very careful about any substitution. 

 I believe some of the western states now have this in their horticul- 

 tural laws. 



It may strike some of you as inconsistent for me to state that 

 most of the Pacific Northwest orchards are small in size and then 

 speak of buying 80,000 trees for planting in one season. The land 

 on which this stock was planted was owned by a development com- 

 pany and sold in tracts of from five to twenty acres. Many of the 

 purchasers were professional or business men of the middle west 



