31 
The Importance of Bud Selection 
Part 1I. 
I SOLATION OF STRAINS.—In the Washington 
Navel orange we have isolated 14 strains through 
hud selection. In a similar manner we have isolated 
14 strains of the Valencia orange, eight strains of 
the Marsh grapefruit, eight strains of the Eureka 
lemon and six strains of the Lisbon lemon. These 
strains have been isolated through the selection of 
buds from both individual trees and from individual 
limb sports. Other propagators have isolated almost 
innumerable strains of fruit and ornamental plants 
through bud selection. More than 400 strains of 
Chrysanthemums are known to have been isolated 
from bud sports. The most valuable variety of 
sugar cane in Hawaii originated as a bud sport. 
Many of our finest varieties of roses were propagated 
from bud sports. Over 50 strains of the Boston fern 
are in commercial use. Some of our best while and 
sweet potatoes are strains of standard vaiieties 
propagated from bud variations. Several valuable 
strains of the Twenty Ounce apple have been propa¬ 
gated from bud sports, as is the case with commercial 
strains of other apple, peach, pear, 
strawberry, grape, and other varie¬ 
ties. When one reaches the orna¬ 
mental plants the list of strains 
originating from bud sports is al¬ 
most endless. We have a list of 
more than 500 such cases at this 
time. 
COMPARED WITH SEEDLINGS. 
—I do not want to belittle or dis¬ 
courage any study of crossing or 
seedling variations as a means for 
the improvement of plant varieties. 
What I do hope to accomplish is to 
point out clearly the equally profit¬ 
able and interesting work of plant 
improvement through hud selection. 
With fruit trees the raising of seed¬ 
lings and testing their commercial 
value is usually a long-drawn-out 
process and a more or less uncertain 
enterprise. The testing out of bud 
variations, on the other hand, is 
comparatively simple, and tire re¬ 
sults can be quickly secured if de¬ 
sired. by using the buds for top¬ 
working suitable fully-grown trees. 
The work of budding is extremely 
simple in most plants, and is a prac¬ 
tical work that appeals to those who 
like horticultural work. It is par¬ 
ticularly suited for training students 
and others and can he done either 
in the open or in the greenhouse, as 
the circumstances permit. 
PROPAGATING V A L II A R L E 
STRAINS.—Experimentally, it is as 
interesting and important to propa¬ 
gate undesirable as it is to test the 
desirable strains. Commercially, it 
is important to propagate only 
standard and valuable strains. This 
distinction, the experimental as con¬ 
trasted with the commercial propa¬ 
gation of strains, is sometimes lost sight of. It 
should he emphasized, in my opinion, and kept firmly 
fixed in our minds. The commercial selection of 
parent trees, and limbs of these trees, should he 
based upon systematic performance records. By 
performance records is meant the record of nroduct- 
tion. tree and fruit characteristics, illustrations, and 
other data showing the behavior of the individual 
plants. The selection of the parent trees for propa¬ 
gation should be made in the light of adequate per¬ 
formance records, and with the aid of intimate tree, 
varietal and strain knowledge which is developed as 
a result of a close study of this subject by those who 
have a natural inclination for it. Commercially, the 
selection of bud wood for propagation should only he 
done by those who have been trained for this business. 
Amateurs should confine their efforts to experimental 
propagations. Every nursery firm engaged in propagat¬ 
ing fruit varieties should have trained bud selectors 
who are able to secure tree performance records and 
to secure reliable bud wood from the superior per- 
formancp-record trees. Fruit tree purchasers should 
demand, in fact they can only afford to secure, trees 
grown from carefully selected buds from superior 
parent trees. 
ORGANIZED BUD SELECTION.—The California 
Fruit Growers’ Exchange, a co-operative organization 
of about 8.000 citrus growers, has established a de¬ 
partment of bud selection. The purpose of this de¬ 
partment is to furnish all nurserymen and all propa- 
Ghe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
gators of citrus trees reliable buds secured from 
superior citrus trees of the standard and com¬ 
mercially valuable varieties. In its first year it 
supplied more than 300,000 such buds. The buds 
were supplied at cost to the users and the quantity 
furnished was sufficient to make this department 
self-supporting. With renewed activity of planting, 
now that the war is over, it is likely that this de¬ 
partment will grow rapidly. The citrus planters, as 
a result of widespread demonstrations of the value 
of genuinely pedigreed trees, are generally demand¬ 
ing nursery trees grown from the buds supplied by 
Ibis department. With this object lesson freshly in 
mind. I am of the opinion that deciduous and other 
fruit industries should carefully consider similar 
measures for the improvement of their valuable 
varieties and crops. If further information con¬ 
cerning this work is desired we will be glad to co¬ 
operate by giving practical suggestions as to the 
organization of this work. 
PERFORMANCE RECORDS. —Individual milk 
cow records, by the use of the Babcock test, are be¬ 
coming more and more generally used by successful 
dairymen. There is just as much need for individual 
One Wan to Dodge the Coal Man. Fig. 10 
tree records in fruit growing as there is for indi¬ 
vidual cow records in dairying. The individual tree 
records serve a number of important purposes, in¬ 
cluding the discovery of superior trees for sources 
of bud wood, the location of ‘‘slacker” trees for top¬ 
working or their elimination by replanting, and the 
work of individual-tree care in pruning, fertilizing 
and related work. Furthermore, individual-tree per¬ 
formance-record work is pleasant, interesting and 
valuable in obtaining exact knowledge of tree and 
plant behavior. We will he very glad, when desired, 
to assist in planning for such work so far as lies in 
our power. a. d. shamel. 
o 
A Discussion of the Spray Gun 
• 
EJECTIONS OFFERED.—Some time ago there 
was an article in The R. N.-Y. which gave an 
idea of the spray-gun so different from our exper¬ 
ience that I wondered what was the matter. The 
story is not before me as I write, but if my memory 
is not at fault there were three main points against 
the gun. First, it was said to waste material: 
second, it did not cover the fruit thoroughly: third, 
it would not spray against the wind. Our experience 
with the first type of spray gun which was offered 
for sale is that it is economical of material: we can 
spray more tree surface more thoroughly with less 
material than with any other device we have ever 
used. It will cover the fruit more completely than 
any other device we have seen, except actual dipping. 
It will spray better against a moderate wind than 
any other device we have seen; but who wants to 
spray against the wind except as a makeshift to get 
a few trees sprayed in some shape so we can fool 
ourselves into thinking we have done something. 
Most of the spraying against the wind would be just 
as effective if plain water were used. There are 
certain points which must l>e observed if good or 
satisfactory spraying is to be done with any appa¬ 
ratus, and especially with a gun. First, we must 
have enough capacity in the pump to hold the pres¬ 
sure at the nozzle. Second, we must be able to start 
and stop spraying quickly. Third, we must be able 
to place the spray material where we want it without 
getting too much where there is already enough or 
where none is wanted. 
CAUSES FOR DEFECTS.—In the story in ques¬ 
tion it is said that when the gun is wide open the 
liquid comes out in a solid stream. This would indi¬ 
cate too low pressure or lack of capacity in the 
pump, probably the latter. There is little use trying 
to use a spray gun at less than 250 pounds pressure. 
If the spray is not fine enough to hang in the air 
several seconds with a “lifting” wind 
a disk with smaller holes should 
be used. The long distance spray of 
a properly used gun is not a stream 
of water, but of air carrying a large 
amount of mist. A stream of water 
will always bend downward, while 
the long-distance spray of a properly 
adjusted gun may bend to right or 
left or even upward. When the 
spray from the gun begins to fall 
like the water from a hose look at 
the pressure gauge. If that is all 
right and there is no downward drift 
to the air put in a finer disk. 
DIFFERENT TYPES.—There are 
at least four makes of spray guns 
on the market, which I may call No. 
1. No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. No. 1 I 
have used through two spraying sea¬ 
sons. No. 2 I have seen over the 
counter, but not in use. No. 3 and 
No. 4 I have seen “demonstrated” 
in booths at fruit shows. No. 1 is 
the original. No. 2 is made to be 
used with a well-known make of 
spray outfit. No. 3 and No. 4 were 
made to sell to owners of spray rigs 
of too small capacity to handle No. 
1. From the impression they gave 
at the “demonstration” I should not 
expect them to give good results. 
With an outfit capable of handling 
15 to 20 gallons a minute, as is 
claimed for some guns, we must 
have a way of shutting off quickly 
when the job is done. It is not pos¬ 
sible to turn the hand much more 
than a quarter turn without losing 
time or power or both. A quarter 
turn should carry us from full on 
to full off in a spray gun. The first 
time I took hold of No. 3 it was a 
little, loose, and slipped back each 
time I let go to take a new hold and 15 or 20 gallons 
would have been wasted at good pressure before the 
stream was shut off. In the orchard such a gun 
would be left turned on most of the time, and would 
probably waste more than a third of the mateilal 
passing through it. No. 1 and No. 2 each turn off 
with about a quarter turn: No. 3 and No. 4 with 
about two turns, unless the packing is a little loose, 
when it may take 20 or more. 
ACCURATE APPLICATION.—In the matter of 
getting the spray material where it is wanted the 
spray gun excels. It requires some practice and 
experiment to get the material to the top of high 
trees. It will throw the material higher and farther 
than is possible with any other apparatus. It will 
not let the operator stand on the tank and spray 
straight up under the center of the tree, bv; it will 
reach all the large branches well enou h. The 
writer has never been able to see the advantage of 
the angle nozzle. When it is time to spray the apples 
are standing up and are of such a shape that the 
part of the apple around the stem can be best covered 
by a horizontal spray. Most of the scab infection 
comes on top of the apple, that is. around the blos¬ 
som end. To reach that we need a dropping spray. 
If our mist is fine enough we can fill the whole inside 
of the tree, and it will gently sift down over the 
parts that will catch the scab spores as they gently 
sift down through the tree. There are a number of 
pumps on the market with capacity enough for any 
