64 



ANNUAL REPORT 1919 AND 1920 



THE PROPAGATION OF NURSERY STOCK— THE FAILURES 

 AND SUCCESSES OF THE NURSERYMEN 



ROBERT J. MATHER, PASADENA, CALIF. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



The failures, or in other words, the death of 90 per cent, of nursery stock, 

 so far, have been caused by curly root which is started when the trees are very 

 small, by the seed being sprouted in pots, cans and boxes, and being held in these 

 containers for some 12 to 18 months, before being planted out in the nursery 

 row, and later being sold for field grown stock. Others are held yet longer, 

 being budded in these small wooden boxes and grown large enough to be planted 

 in the orchard. I think after some of you large growers have replaced several 

 thousands of such trees with great loss of time that you will agree with me when 

 I say that any avocado tree that has been confined to a pot, can or box is not fit 

 to be planted. There are yet several large avocado nurserymen growing trees 

 that have either been started in pots or boxes, and I think that it is high time that 

 this Association should instruct all planters to look out for such stock. 



Another very great mistake is that of cutting budwood from worthless trees. 

 Nurserymen should cut all budwood themselves, being careful to select good 

 wood from trees that have at least two years performance record. 



The success of the avocado nurserymen depends wholly on the manner in 

 which they grow their stock. If they will grow thrifty, clean, straight field-grown 

 stock of proven varieties they will without a question find a ready sale for all their 

 slock. 



I will endeavor to tell you how we consider the proper method of propagat- 

 ing such stock. Do not understand by this that I want you to think that this 

 is the only way to grow nursery stock, but the way that we have grown our stock, 

 which I beheve will speak for itself. When looking around for seeds we are very 

 careful to select only the very best that we can obtain, using only seeds from 

 the small black and green Mexican varieties, as we have found from experience, 

 that seed used from all thick skin and medium thJck skin varieties such as the 

 Harman and Ganter are undesirable, as they make a very slow growth, poor root 

 system and also have a thick bark which is very hard to bud into. Seeds used 

 for nursery stock should never be allowed to dry out after they have been removed 

 from the fruit, but should be at once packed in moist, clean sand, where they will 

 keep well for two to three months. Before they are removed from the sand, soak 

 them well for two to three weeks. Build the beds for planting in a good sunny 

 place above the surface of the ground, using about I 2 to 15 inches of good, clean 

 sand. Plant the seed with the top about one-quarter of an inch above the surface. 

 Seed may be planted close together in the beds as they are removed loose rooted. 

 After planting, soak them well and cover them over with a light coat of shavings. 

 Seed under such care, planted in the seed beds in Januar5^ will be ready to set 

 out in the nursery row by May or June, when they will be from four to five inches 

 in height and the roots about six to eight inches long. We are careful when trans- 

 planting them that the roots are not disturbed any more than possible, as the young 

 roots are very tender. They should be planted 12 to 14 inches apart in the 

 nursery row and the rows three feet apart. Be sure to set the seed down in the 

 ground about one inch from the surface and never break the seed away from the 

 young sprout. Very often more than one sprout starts out from the seed. Never 



