132 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
BLIGHT-PROOF STOCKS. 
When the writer visited the Australian colonies in 1888 and 
1889, considerable trouble was being experienced by nur¬ 
serymen and orchardists in devising means to protect apple 
trees from attacks of wooly aphis, there termed “ The Ameri¬ 
can Blight.” It had been learned that the roots of some varie¬ 
ties of apple, notably the Northern Spy, seemed to be proof 
against the attacks of this insect which, by the way, is vastly 
more injurious to apple trees than in America, and nurserymen 
were using what were then termed “blight-proof stocks,” 
almost exclusively, upon which to start nearly all other varie¬ 
ties of apple. 
As the injuries of this pest are of minor importance in this 
country, confined as they are almost exclusively to young 
seedling stock and to a less degree to the nursery row, I did 
not look into the matter very closely at the time, merely noting 
it down as one of the usages of that country that would be 
worth watching, after I returned home. 
A few months ago, when I had occasion to explain the mode 
of procedure in securing this blight-proof stock, my memory 
failed me and my notes were too indefinite to help me out. 
Of course the sowing of Northern Spy seed would not produce 
that variety of stock, and I knew that there was some method 
of double working, but could not say just how it was done. I 
wrote to a correspondent in Adelaide, South Australia, for the 
desired information, and being personally acquainted with the 
secretary for agriculture for the colony, Mr. A. Molineux, the 
information was very kindly given in Garden and Field, the of¬ 
ficial organ of the department, as follows : 
“ No one now thinks of planting a tree except on a blight- 
proof stock, so that the badly affected trees are all old. To 
obtain a blight-proof stock is quite a simple matter. Two 
essentials are necessary : First—the blight-proof root; sec¬ 
ond, blight-proof wood. The best roots are undoubtedly 
those of the Northern Spy apple tree. 
“A piece of root, say as thick as a lead pencil, and four 
inches long, with a few root fibers, is taken and grafted by 
whip or cleft grafting on to a scion of any blight-proof variety. 
The two sorts usually used are either the Northern Spy or 
Majestin, and bound with a piece of soft twine or strip of 
calico. 
“This is planted in the nursery bed, and from the upper bud 
of the scion a strong shoot is allowed to grow, and at the same 
time roots frequently grow from the lower end of the scion If 
the growing shoot is strong enough, a bud is inserted in the 
summer, at about six inches from the ground, and allowed to 
remain dormant until the next winter, when the shoot is cut 
away, and a tree is formed in the following season from the 
bud. In this methqd the roots and stock are blight-proof to 
six inches above ground, and above that it does not so much 
matter, as the aphis can be easily treated with kerosene 
emulsion.” 
It is questionable if it will pay our nurserymen to go to this 
trouble, especially in the North, but as so much is now being 
made of this mode of fighting the insect in Australia, it seemed 
proper to give this explanation where it would be likely to 
reach the greatest number of those who would be interested 
and possibly experiment with it in future. 
Wooster, Ohio. F, M. Webster. 
Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville, O., have one of the most 
complete assortments of nursery stock in the world. 
Charles Greening, of Greening Brothers, Monroe, Mich., 
visited Rochester Nurserymen during the closing days of last 
month. 
Nursery stocks of all kinds are offered by Barbier Brothers 
&: Son, successors to that well known establishment Nason 
Brothers’ Nurseries, Orleans, France. The American repre¬ 
sentatives are Knauth, Nachod & Kuhne, 13 William Street, 
New York city. 
Jesse Kersey Sharpless, the originator of the Sharpless 
strawberry, died at his home in Catawissa, Pa., on September 
10, aged 80 years. The berry which bears his name was the 
result of a series of experiments conducted by Mr. Sharpless, 
who at an early age became interested in small fruits, and was 
obtained from mixed seed of Jacunda, Charles Downing, Wil¬ 
son, and Colonel Cheney. 
APPLE SEEDLINGS 
200,000 Apple Seedlings, 2 Years Old, 
also One Acre of Dwarf Box for Edging. 
OPPRESS Stephen Hoyts Son, New Canaan, Ct. 
Miller New Raspberry, Strawberry, and Other Plants, 
GENUINE HOME-GROWN at RIGHT FIGURES. 
In Exchange for_ , .. 
STANDARD and DWARF PEARS and Other Stock. 
P, EMERSON, WYOMING, Kent Co., DELAWARE. 
Nursery Stocks 
Of air 
Kinds and Varieties. 
Such as Maples, Alder, Althea, Aucuha, White Birch, 
Catalpa, Honeysuckles, Nuts, Japan Quince, Deutzia, 
Ash, Broom, Walnut, Ligustrum, Philadelphia, Acacia, 
Currants, Willows, Sambuens, Spirea, Lilacs, Tamarix, 
Viburnum, Weigelia, and all sorts of Fruit Tree Stocks, 
all 1, 2 and 3 years old or stronger plants, now offered at 
very low prices by 
Transom Brothers Nurseries, 
BARBIER BROS. & SONS, Sucers., 
For Price hist Apply to ORLEANS, FRANCE. 
KNAUTH, NACHOD & KUHNE, 13 William St.. NEW YORK. 
A SURPLUS OF 125,000 MOORE'S EARLY 
AND CONCORD VINES - - 
One and two years, must be reduced and the prices 
must suit the buyer. 
Equally tempting prices will be made on Peach 
Trees by the 1,000 or car load. TRIUMPH included in 
the special offers. 
Abundance and Red June Plums, 5 to 7 feet, must 
also go at bargain rates. 
This stock has been examined by the State Ento. 
mologist, and certified to be free from San Jose scale 
and disease. Write me for prices. 
JOHN S. BARNHART, 
DENTON, MD. 
