THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
‘55 
strong, healthy and vigorous and capable of doing what they 
would otherwise not be, if they had not a vigorous constitution 
with which to begin life’s work. It is not possible for all men 
to start life with the blessing of a healthy constitution ; it is 
quite possible to so start all trees and plants if the simple re¬ 
quirements of the plant or tree are carefully sought out. After 
many years of practical work and most careful observation we 
are absolutely certain that the chief cause of so many short¬ 
lived, sickly and unfruitful trees is caused by improper plant 
food in the early life of the tree. Long ago we discarded the 
use of commercial and other fertilizers in starting our trees 
and plants, as having a most disastrous effect on the long life, 
hardihood and fruitfulness of trees. The direct result is to 
produc soft wood in the early life of a plant, which the rigor 
of an ordinary winter will effect and so reduce the vitality of 
the tree, leaving it with a weakened constitution at an early 
age, from which it never fully recovers. 
“A tree of_ weak constitution from any cause whatever, is 
much more subject to attack from insect pests than a tree con¬ 
stitutionally hardy. There is nothing that will so shock a tree 
as to stimulate it to an unnatural, forced growth up to the time 
of transplanting and then remove it to a soil, the fertility of 
which is much weaker, causing the tree or plant practically to 
stand still a year or more; by which it receives a shock, from 
which it is difficult to recover. After transplanting to the 
orchard where the tree is to remain, we advise fertilizers of 
such a character as the soil and tree may require, and applied 
at such times as not to produce growth late in the season; as 
the wood should be well ripened and hardened before going 
into winter. 
“ The temptation now, with the present low price for stock 
is greater than ever to get trees on the market at the earliest 
possible moment after the foundation stock is planted, regard¬ 
less of a'ter results. We have grown fruit for the different 
markets a good many years and our aim is to make a tree 
that for hardiness, long life and productiveness, will prove val¬ 
uable, not only for our own orchards, but for those of our 
customers near and far who, from year to year, favor us with 
their orders, many of them located in the great fruit districts 
of this country, whose sole business is to grow fruit. Our 
stocks, upon which our different varieties are worked, are 
selected with the greatest care, looking to the hardiness and 
longevity of the tree. 
“Take one example, our cherries are budded on Mazzard 
(native cherry seedlings) stocks. While it takes a little longer 
to make a tree, examples are not wanting where trees budded 
on Mazzard stocks are still vigorous and fruitful at 40 years of 
age, while cherries grown on miserable, worthless, French 
(Mahaleb) stocks, the roots of which are soft and porous, 8 
to 10 years is the life of the tree. The same principle of livli- 
hood and hardiness is looked after in the propagation of our 
apple, pear and plum trees, all being worked on the best 
stocks. The truthfulness of our varieties can also be depend¬ 
ed on, as our buds are cut largely from fruiting trees, and 
always attended to by one of our firm and not delegated to 
some one with less interest.” 
AN ADMIRABLE MEDIUM. 
The Crete Nurseries, E. F. Stephens, Manager, Crete, Neb.— 
"We are very pleased with your journal and regard it as an admirable 
medium for nurserymen. Enclosed find draft for $ 1.00 to renew my 
subscription, which expires as you state with the October issue.” 
NURSERY BILL ENDORSED. 
At the annual meeting of the West Virginia Horticultural 
Society at Lynchburgh, October 14th, Professor William B. 
Alwood stated, “Only in a few instances is the scale spread¬ 
ing in West Viginia in a serious manner; in fact, most of the 
cases have been so well treated as largely to check the further 
spread of the trouble, but in some few instances an alarming 
spread is still going on and unfortunately, the inspector is 
without funds properly to execute the law. Wherever the 
law has been properly executed the danger is subsiding. 
The discussion resulted in the society fully endorsing the 
inspection law and resolving to ask the legislature for an 
appropriation of $2,000 to be expended in a more thorough 
inspection and enforcement of the present law. 
A resolution was also adopted endorsing the proposed con¬ 
gressional enactment to prevent shipment of scale-infested 
stock between the states. 
WHOLE ROOTS. 
Editor National Nurseryman : 
I am glad to see this subject so sensibly treated as on page 
141 of November number of your increasingly valuable paper. 
I have always held that to get any benefit from “whole root 
grafting” the seedling should never be transplanted. The seed 
must produce the root and the graft be inserted at the crown 
or a little below where the seed was planted : this is imprac¬ 
ticable. 
We have experimented along the line of first, second and 
fourth cuts or sections of the root; first and second are most 
vital and produce a better and more uniform stand ; but if the 
fourth cut is strong, it produces just as good a tree as the first. 
The second is best. 
Short roots and 7-inch cions are the secret of success in the 
trying climates of the West. 
Janesville, Wis. George J. Kellogg. 
PAYING 100 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR. 
Editor National Nurseryman: 
In the last issue of The National Nurseryman I notice 
an item referring to my being closed out at constable’s sale on 
September 28th. This is interesting, inasmuch as the state¬ 
ment that it was for bill of nursery stock contracted in fall of 
1896, is positively untrue. No nurseryman with whom I have 
had any dealings has ever brought an action of this nature. 
I admit that I am considerably in arrears brought about by 
stock winter-killing and other misfortunes during the winter 
and spring of 1896 and 1897, and farther I am cancelling 
obligations as quickly as existing conditions will permit, and 
one hundred cents on the dollar. No doubt many of the 
readers of this journal have been in the same boat, realize that 
it is an unpleasant situation ; and a large per cent, of them no 
doubt condemn the motives that prompted such a report, or 
think that the policy that when a man is down give him a kick 
is not honorable competition. 
Laporte, Ind. Joseph M. Neil. 
