46 



1916 ANNUAL REPORT 



Mr. Barber (exhibiting two avocado roots, showing root coil) : In 

 my paper I referred to the practice of growing young trees in pots. 

 The avocado is a very fast grower, and no matter how small the trees 

 are, the roots will grow around in the pot. The question has come 

 up here as ta the cause of the dying back of a lot of trees planted 

 near Del Mar. During the discussion, the point was brought out that 

 it might be due to root coil. I don't think it is. The same sort of trees 

 have been planted out in other sections of the country and are growing 

 thriftily. These trees had started and after showing the first growth or 

 two started to die back from the ends of the limbs, dying into the trunk 

 and in many cases resulting in the death of the entire tree. What is the 

 cause? Is it a local climatic condition? Is it the soil? Is it the w^ater, 

 or is it this root? I freely admit that the nurserymen at first thought 

 it necessary to start everything in pots, and doubtless this tree was 

 started in a pot. I hope the time w^ill come when it will be found that we 

 can plant from the seedbed directly to the open ground. If this can be 

 accomplished, we shall absolutely do away with this root coil. 



Dr. Coit: I think the root coil is the trouble, i looked over a lot 

 of seedlings where a great many of them had failed to grow. On look- 

 ing into the matter, we found those that failed to grow had the roots 

 twisted around and around. Those that did not seem to be so badly 

 curled managed to live, but not many of them were as healthy as they 

 should have been. In this case it may be said that practically every tree 

 had been grown for a short time in a pot, some of them entirely too 

 long. 



Mr. Barber: All of these trees during the first six months after they 

 were planted started a good growth. 



Dr. Coit: What variety are they? 

 Mr. Barber: Harman. 



Dr. Coit: How long were they grown in the pots, Mr. Barber? 



Mr. Barber: Possibly not more than two or three months. 



Question: How soon is it safe to set from pots into the field? 



Dr. Coit: I should say about three weeks. All you need to do is 

 to get the dirt settled enough so that you can take the plant out with 

 a ball of dirt. The trouble is to make the seedling stand up. 



Question: You won't have coils under six or eight months? 



Dr. Coit: You will have coils undoubtedly in three months. I don't 

 think seedlings should be left in pots more than four weeks. The 

 question today is whether we can get away from the use of pots. You 

 may have to use them for three, four, or five weeks. 



Question: Will you please explain what happens if you plant a 

 seed in the open ground? 



A member: We grow the seed in large seedbeds. When the young 

 plants are from 8 to 12 inches high we move them out into the open 

 field, and they have come along fine. We plant the seeds just at the 

 surface of the ground and cover them vdth shavings until they start. 



Mr. Fessler: I have planted the seed with about one-third above 

 the soil and covered with leaves. Just as soon as the seedlings began 

 to show through, I transplant them into the nursery row and have not 



