APPLES 
19u5-8—Munson, W. M Variation in 
Fruitfulness of Individual Trees 
(Maine Bull 122, 139, 155, 134, 137, 
135 ) 
1907—Card, F. W. Scion Selection and 
Blooming Dates (R.I. Rept 1907, 
P 211-14, 220-65 Pls 7.) 
1908—Powell, G T. $1,000 an Acre from 
Pedigreed Trees. (Country Life in 
Am, 13 [1908], No. 5, P. 504-6, 538, 
540 Fig. 12.) 
1909—Beach, S. A Rept of Com. on 
Breeding Vine and Tree Fruits. 
(Am Breeders Assn, Vol. 5, P 28, 
1909.) 
1909—Ballou, F. H. Bud Sports in Ap- 
ples. (Ohio Cire. 94, P. 70. Fig. 
20.) 
1911—Wright, W. J. 
greed Trees? 
P. 155, 1911.) 
1912—Hedrick and Wellington 
Bull. 350) 
1912—Hedrick, V. P. Pedigreed Nursery 
Stock. (N. Y¥. Cire. No. 18.) 
1912—-Shamel, A. D. (Mo. Bull. Cal. Com. 
Hort. 1, 9, 1912.) 
Am. Breeders Assn., Vol 8, P. 497. 
Bu Plt. Indust., Cire. 77. 
E. S. R., Vol. 19, P. 1142; Vol. 16, 
P. 265. 
American Agriculturist, Vol. 74, No. 
9, P. 60. 
What About Pedi- 
(Rural New Yorker, 
(N.Y. 
WM. WorRTHINGTON 
Pedigreed Stock, Does It Pay 
Nurserymen understand what is meant 
by “Pedigreed Stock.” They may believe 
in it or they may not. 
There has been a good deal of discus- 
sion as to the correctness of the term 
“nedigreed,” as applied to plants. A “pedi- 
greed” animal infers known parentage on 
both sides. With fruit trees and other 
plants the female parent is often known, 
but not the male, and many of our best 
fruits are what is known as chance seed- 
lings, both parents being involved in ob- 
scurity. 
Moreover, a flower, or a fruit (using 
the term “fruit” commercially, not scien- 
tifically) may be pedigreed in the most 
literal and scientific sense, being bred by 
artificial methods, and still be worthless 
149 
so far as any economic or 
value may be considered. 
The term “pedigreed,” however, implies 
exception and fixed quality, and that is 
what we desire; no other name has been 
proposed, except “selected,” which is 
meaningless 
commercial 
Pedigreed stock 1s simply the propaga- 
gation of selected plants, whether bud 
variants, mutants, or by whatever name 
they may be known by scientists. 
There is at present in Southern Cali- 
fornia a systematic work being carried 
on under the direction of an expert sent 
out by Dr. Galloway of the Department 
of Agriculture, to segregate certain indi- 
vidual citrus trees which have made a 
record as to quality of fruit, good bearing 
habits, and general vigor, and to use these 
trees from which alone to propagate. 
The Jeading citrus growers believe in 
bud variation, and its propagation, or 
perpetuation by budding or grafting, and 
are working to the end that their or- 
chards may be improved by breeding up. 
Some growers already are budding over 
their bearing trees from these individual 
specimens. Such trees will surely be 
‘“nedigreed.”’ 
An increasing number of fruit growers 
all over California believe in pedigreed 
trees, the theory and practice of selecting 
individuals from which to propagate being 
warmly upheld by Professor F. T. Bio- 
letti, of the University of California, Mrs. 
M. E. Sherman of Minnewawa, and others. 
Occasionally most distinct bud variations 
are met with, or sports, which are en- 
titled to the classification of a new va- 
riety. 
My attention was first called to this varia- 
tion of individuality in 1882 when studying 
particularly what we call ‘French Prune.” 
I have a water color sketch, made at that 
time, showing the different types of the 
French Prune, but all propagated as one. 
These “types,” or variations are just as 
fixed now as 25 years ago, and no one 
has endeavored to segregate them until 
I commenced this work in 1905 by propa- 
gating only from marked individuals. 
But the question arises, “Does it pay?” 
And this question is paramount with 
