THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
31 
STORING NURSERY STOCK . 
Views of an Expert on Storage Buildings — Advantages and 
Disadvantages Under Present Systems — Winter Storing 
to Become Universal — Nurserymen Interrogated. 
Upon the subject of storing nursery stock, Madison Cooper, 
of Minneapolis, an expert in the construction of storage 
buildings, writes for the National Nurseryman: 
It is within recent years that the digging of trees from 
nursery row in the fall and storing during the winter for 
spring shipment has come to be an established feature of the 
nursery business. This subject was brought to the writer’s 
attention by a discussion between nurserymen of the advis¬ 
ability of the method. In this discussion the term “Cold 
Storage” was used in reference to the cellars or sheds in use 
for the purpose. 
Having a great interest in cold storage matters, the writer 
determined to get the best information obtainable from 
those actually using the storage method. Letters of inquiry 
were therefore sent out to representative nurserymen. That 
nurserymen are in the main progressive and liberal minded is 
evident from the interest shown and the careful replies 
received. The writer hopes that nurserymen will excuse the 
conceit which allows an outsider to write regarding a business 
with which he is not intimately familiar. This article is, 
however, no mere theory or opinion by the writer, but infur- 
mation carefully gleaned from those actually engaged in the 
business and put in shape by one who has had a long experi¬ 
ence with the cold storage of perishable products. 
From the information contained, it is beyond doubt a fact 
that a majority of nurserymen, especially the larger and more 
progressive, are using frost-proof winter storage facilities of 
one kind or another: A few are using artificial cooling, but 
as a general proposition, this is not as yet fully appreciated. 
In time, no doubt, this feature will also come to be permanent, 
not only for maintaining regular temperatures during winter, 
but should there be an overstock of certain varieties in the 
spring, it would result in a great saving to store the surplus 
over until the next shipping season. 
ARTIFICIAL COOLING. 
Artificial cooling is another step in advance of frost-proof 
storage in the same sense that fall digging and frost-proof 
storage is a step in advance of the old method of digging at 
shipping time in the spring. It is natural that every planter 
should want his trees immediately as soon as the frost is out 
of the ground. The result is that they all want their stock 
at the same time. As a consequence, nurserymen who do 
any considerable amount of business and have no storage 
facilities have more than they can attend to in the spring. 
Even with this almost impossible problem to solve, there are 
many who are not converted to the storage method, so a few 
words regarding its advantages and alleged disadvantages 
will be timely. The advantages may be stated as follows: 
PROTECTION FROM LOSS. 
A few years ago thousands of dollars worth of trees and 
vines were killed during a severe spell of extreme low temper¬ 
ature during the winter at a time when the ground was nearly 
bare of snow. It is also believed that nursery stock is in 
better condition to thrive when dug in the fall and stored in 
an even temperature approximating the freezing point than 
if allowed to stand in the nursery subject to wide fluctuations 
of temperature which will cause injury to a greater or less 
extent, depending upon the severity of the winter and snow 
protection afforded. 
PROMPT SHIPMENT. 
If no storage is provided, digging must be done in the 
spring after frost is out of the ground. Frost is not generally 
out of the ground until April 1st, sometimes later. This 
means that a large part of the trees are not finally planted 
until May 1st to June 1st, and perhaps not until the leaves 
have started. Trees set under those conditions do not thrive 
and many die. 
SAVING IN LABOR. 
The shipping season is so short that if trees were all dug 
and shipped after frost is out of the ground the necessity of 
having a large and well trained force to get the shipments out 
promptly would be very expensive. With' storage facilities, 
stock can at convenience be graded, counted and put in 
bundles ready for packing by cheap help during the winter. 
Trees may be dug in the fall at a much lower cost than in the 
spring, owing to more abundant available labor and dryer 
working conditions. Less hands are required as the labor is 
more evenlv distributed. 
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THEORETICALLY CORRECT. 
Trees dug late in the fall are dormant from natural causes 
and will stand handling, shipping and planting much better 
than trees dug after frost is out of the ground in the spring. 
After frost is out, sap starts and the tree is more liable to be 
damaged by rough usage and replacing. A dormant tree 
held at about the freezing point will retain its vitality almost 
indefinitely. 
BAD EFFECTS OF WINTER STORAGE. 
The disadvantages or bad effects of winter storage as 
claimed by those who oppose the method, are that trees dry 
out and mould when stored and that when finally set the 
percentage of trees which die is greater. It is also claimed 
that among the stock which survives, the growth is retarded 
and the trees handicapped by at least a year’s growth as com¬ 
pared with freshly dug trees. Plenty of evidence is obtainable 
from disinterested parties that these effects result in some 
cases. 
These bad effects are, however, not from defects in the 
method, but from careless or unskillful handling or lack of 
suitable storage facilities. Farther on we will take up the 
construction of suitable buildings. It is notable that the 
advocates of freshly dug trees are almost wholly of the “old- 
line” element who stick to old customs, because some few 
failures have resulted from the winter storage method. This 
method, which has barely passed the experimental stage 
cannot but record some failures on account of improper 
application. 
WINTER STORAGE TO BE UNIVERSAL. 
Nurserymen who advocate and sell freshly dug trees are 
handicapped in the handling of their business and the increas¬ 
ing of same to any considerable proportions is practically 
impossible. From the preponderance of evidence in favor of 
winter storing, it seems that this will be universal in due time. 
