How To Buy Nursery Stock— By Adolph Kruhm,o hio 



JUST where to look for value and what 

 to recognize as defects are the problems 

 that confront private buyers of nursery 

 stock nearly every season. Discounting 

 completely the lack of uniformity as to 

 measurements in all nursery catalogues 

 and opinions as to "best" sorts, the one 

 important question "what constitutes tree 

 value" remains unanswered most of the 

 time. 



Price, size, and quality talk (in the order 

 named) usually guide the planter in the 

 selection of nursery stock. Yet not one of 

 these factors is a gauge by which to measure 

 finally (when opening the bale), whether 

 or not you have your money's worth. 



A tree has three parts: the root system, 

 the trunk, and the head. Every well- 

 grown tree should have a root system which 

 properly balances the head and the con- 

 necting trunk should be in proportion with 

 the two extremities. As soon as one is 

 out of proportion with the other two, 

 the tree is not built along" correct 

 lines. It is either faulty in having 

 more top than the limited root system can 

 support, or it may have a slimmer trunk 

 than is good for the crown; or the trunk 

 may be altogether too long, discounting a 

 properly developed head. 



A good root system is important as the 

 basis of a good tree. But this root system 

 depends upon three factors: (i) the stock 

 on which the tree is grafted; (2) the soil on 

 which it has been grown; and (3) the 

 method of cultivation which it has received 

 in the nursery row. And this last con- 

 sideration is easily the most important. 



Have you ever seen a young tree, the 

 root system of which consisted of four or 

 five strong, badly "butchered" tap roots 

 and a very few fibrous or lateral roots? 

 Such a tree has been permitted to grow in 

 the nursery row undisturbed for a number 

 of years. It may have been cultivated, but 

 no effort was made to develop a correct 

 root system by repeated transplantings. 

 Frankly such a tree is not worth planting. 

 In most cases, after being set out, it ails a 

 long time and when it finally recovers from 

 the shock, it has lost its owner more time 

 and money than it was worth. 



Some soils are better adapted than others 

 to the production of good nursery stock; 

 Ohio is famous for berry bushes, while 

 apples thrive to perfection in Kansas and 

 other middle western states. Again trees 

 differ in their habits of growth. Apples 

 have more fibrous roots than cherries while 

 peaches have as many fibrous roots as 

 apples, or more. Look for ample fibrous 

 roots among currants, for fewer among 

 raspberries, and for plenty of stout tap 

 roots among blackberries. 



As to the best stock on which the trees 

 should be grafted, nurserymen disagree. 

 French crab apple seedlings, natural or 

 mountain grown peach seeds, quince and 

 plum roots — all play their parts. When- 



G M Oct. 191 2 



ever you can find positive statements as 

 to what sort of seedlings was used for the 

 grafting process, select the hardiest and 

 let the rest of your success depend upon 

 correct planting and proper treatment after- 

 ward. But before planting, examine the 

 place where the scion was grafted on the 

 seedling. See that this "union" is free of 

 the defects mentioned later. 



A well developed trunk ranks second in 

 importance. With a good root system 

 below and a good trunk to carry nourish- 

 ment above the soil, the planter need 

 worry little about the head or crown. 

 With the trunk, the most important 

 point is the diameter, or circum- 

 ference, or (to use the trade 

 term) caliper. 



The caliper of a tree counts, 

 rather than its height, and when 

 all nurserymen become uni- 

 formly specific about the cali- 

 per, we will have better trees 

 in general and better orch- 

 ards. Many one-year-old 

 tall "whips" are sold at 

 prices to which they are not 

 entitled, simply on the 

 strength of the statement 

 that these trees are five, 

 six or more feet tall, as 

 the case may be. In 

 states with a long grow- 

 ing season, one-year- 

 old switches or 

 "whips" may attain 

 a height of five to six 

 feet which would be 

 misleading as a mea- 

 sure of quality, taken 

 alone. Beware of 

 such by making in- 

 quiry as to "cali- 

 per." 



Fruit trees of uni- 

 form age may be 

 bought at three 

 different calipers, 

 though they all 

 grew in the 

 same nursery 

 row. When 

 they are dug 

 they are 

 graded 

 accord- 

 ing to 



See that the bundle has a certificate stating that 

 the nursery is free from disease 



and caliper. Some nurseries mark these 

 different sizes with a series of X's; others 

 call them first, second and third grades; 

 still others give the actual caliper measure- 

 ments. The last method is the most de- 

 pendable — you know what you buy and 

 what to expect. 



When asking "what shall I buy" the 

 amateur should remember the advice of all 

 practical nurserymen is against old stock. 

 "Buy two-year-old trees of strongest 

 caliper " is what you will be told, and the 

 reasons for this are sound. A one-year-old 

 tree has too weak and light a root system 

 to stand ordinary transplanting methods. 

 A three-year-old tree is too firmly estab- 

 lished to undergo transplanting without a 

 serious setback and shock. [Of course the 

 handling of older specimen plants is not here 

 at issue — such are specially prepared for that 

 special purpose and are costly in proportion 

 to the care that has been given. — Eds.] 



Finally as to the head or crown of the 

 tree. It should be symmetrical, well- 

 balanced, low on the trunk, and consist of 

 numerous short but strong branches. The 

 bushier and more compact the crown, the 

 better the results assured; the stouter the 

 individual branches, the better a finished 

 tree may be expected." 



No hard and fast rules can be laid down 

 for judging the crown of a tree. The home 

 whence it comes is to a great measure a 

 better indication of what it is going to be. 

 Only the most rigorous subsequent training 

 can overcome faults developed on a crown of 

 a tree during the earlier stages of its growth. 



POINTS TO LOOK OUT FOR 



Some of the desirable characteristics of 

 dormant nursery stock as well as the most 

 noticeable constitutional defects in the 

 different classes are here given. It is im- 

 possible for average planters, to whom I 

 belong, to discover, understand and set 

 forth all the arguments in favor of or 

 against certain types of nursery stock. 

 Only an experienced grower could do this, 

 and his lips are usually sealed. Common 

 sense and a rudimentary knowledge of the 

 principles governing all forms of plant life 

 will help the planter to decide near enough 

 in most cases whether the plants are worth 

 their price. 



Before going into detail, a word with 

 reference to "grafting" and "budding" 

 might be in order. Both methods are good ; 

 and statements made in favor of one or 

 the other are opinions, not facts. In the 

 East, for example, all apple seedlings are 

 budded during June, July and August. 

 The "bud" or "eye" is inserted into a 

 "T" shaped slit in the seedling about an 

 inch above the ground, properly bandaged 

 with raffia until the bud sets, when the 

 bandage is taken off. The following spring, 

 the seedling is cut off just above the bud. 

 Two years afterward the planter gets this 

 tree as "two-year-old" size. 



