232 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
INJURY OF NURSERY STOCK IN STORAGE 
By V. B. Stewart 
In charge Nursery Disease Investigations, Cornell University. 
Throughout the past four years the Department of Plant 
Pathology of the New York State Agricultural College has 
had under investigation several of the most important 
diseases of nursery stock. This work was conducted for 
the first two years in accordance with the terms of an In¬ 
dustrial Fellowship agreement between the college and the 
C. W. Stuart & Company nursery firm of Newark, N. Y. 
vSince that time there has been an Industrial Investigatorship 
agreement with the nursery firms of C. W. Stuart & Co., 
Newark, N. Y., Chase Brothers Co., Rochester, N. Y., 
Brown Bros. Co., Rochester, N. Y. and Jackson & Perkins 
Co., Newark, N. Y. 
At various times a number of the larger nurseries in 
New York State have been visited to obtain information on 
special problems such as “Winter Killing’’ of trees and a 
particular injury to stock which becomes apparent while 
the trees are in storage. 
During the past four years several complaints have been 
received from different nurserymen concerning the injury 
of nursery stock while in the storage cellar. The percentage 
of stock injured has frequently been high and has caused 
heavy losses, due to the fact that the trees were unsalable 
at the time of spring shipping. 
The injury is first noticeable in the tips of the branches 
and the smaller twigs appear dead and dried out. Often 
the large branches and trunk are affected and the trouble 
may even extend to the roots. Cankered areas are apparent 
on the trunks of the more severely injured trees and the 
bark is discolored, brownish or black. A sharp line of 
demarkation indicates the boundary between the green 
healthy bark and the dead tissue. The dead cankered area 
may only involve definite portions of the trunk or on the 
other hand the injury may be so severe as to completely 
girdle the tree; under such conditions a greater portion of 
the top is usually.dead and the tree must be rejected at 
packing time. 
A common grayish-white mold is generally present on 
the affected tissues and may often be a means of detecting 
the first signs of injury while the trees are still in the stalls. 
This mold, however, certainly cannot be a primary factor 
in causing the trouble. This is evident from the fact that 
where a twig or root has been broken off or the barkof the tree 
injured in any way the fungus is usually found growing on 
the wound as a saprophyte. It does not live on healthy bark. 
Numerous theories have been suggested as to the cause 
of the trouble, but in some instances there is little support 
for the opinions advanced. Records show that fluctuating 
temperatures and conditions of hmnidity have not been so 
unusual in the cellars where this injury has occurred as to 
be considered an important factor. Tramping on the tops 
and rough handling after the trees are dug, as has been sug¬ 
gested, can hardly cause the trouble from the fact that 
carefully handled trees have been known to be affected. 
. From the observations made and the hfformation ob¬ 
tained from different nurserymen’s experiences, the condi¬ 
tions as discussed below appear to be more important in 
causing the injury. The trouble was especially noticeable 
in one nursery where the digger was run under the trees 
before the leaves were stripped and several days intervened 
before the trees were pulled. In this particular case, the 
trees, with the leaves still on, were shipped in closed cars to 
the storage cellar and were frequently two to four days in 
transit. Under such conditions trees are known to “sweat.’’ 
thus increasing the temperature in the car several degrees. 
Delay in handling at the cellar before the foliage is stripped 
and the stock placed in the stalls is also a factor which would 
favor the injury. 
Although the above methods of handling peach stock 
have been practiced for years by various nurserymen with¬ 
out any losses yet it is probable that the weather conditions 
the past two seasons were such as to render the trees more 
susceptible to injury. Increased precipitation throughout 
the latter part of the season, causing late growth prevents 
the proper ripening of wood of the trees before digging time. 
The tops are frequently tender and succulent and there is 
a superabundant development of new buds which under 
ordinary conditions would have remained dormant until 
the next year. It is natural to expect that trees which are 
immature when dug are not in the best condition for storage, 
and thus more liable to injury, especially when they have 
been subjected to the adverse conditions in handling as 
mentioned above. 
Some nurserymen claim to have avoided the injury by 
storing the trees at a temperature below freezing. The 
roots are packed in excelsior and no attempt whatever made 
to regulate the temperature, it being governed by conditions 
existing outside the cellar. This factor has not received 
careful enough attention to draw definite conclusions but 
there is one objection to be raised; with a mild winter similar 
to that of 1912 the temperature may not be low enough for 
a considerable part of the time, especially in November 
and December to freeze the trees. Also a fluctuating tempera¬ 
ture causing freezing and thawing in the cellar certainly 
is not ideal for storage conditions. 
Owing to the limited amount of study given to this 
problem it is not possible at the present time to make definite 
recommendations with" reference to the absolute prevention 
of this peach injury but it does seem logical as a general 
practice to aVoid certain conditions and methods of handling 
the stock there by eliminating several factors which might 
be important in causing the trouble. Strip the leaves im¬ 
mediately before or immediately after the trees are dug. 
Avoid “sweating’’ when the trees are shipped in cars; hasten 
the shipments to the cellar and store the trees with the least 
delay possible. (Hand stripping of peach stock in the field 
requires considerable time and expense, however, the writer 
has seen stripping machines in use which gave good satis¬ 
faction.) 
As a general consideration the factor which appears 
important at least in making the trees more susceptible to 
the injury is the condition of maturation at digging time. 
Avoid planting on low and wet land, get good drainage to 
decrease the water content of the soil during excessive rain 
periods, also discontinue late cultivation when there is an 
increased rainfall in the latter part of the growing season. 
Avoid late growth and improper ripening of the trees in 
every possible way. 
