THE NATIONAL NURSENYArAN 
271 
limited to the large, Ihick-skinned variety of the avocado. 
The importation of the small, purple, thin-skinned var¬ 
iety of the fruit of I he avocado and of avocado nursery 
stock under 18 months of age is prohibited. 
WILL PLANTS, VINKS AND TRKKS CONTINUK TO 
ADVANCK IN PHICK? 
//// Ch/irles A. Grem, Rochester, New York 
Nurserymen lost money heavily during the Civil War 
in this country, and many of them were compelled to go 
out of business. At the close of the Civil War the prices 
of plants, vines and trees greatly increased. I am told 
that apple, pear, plum, cherry and p(‘ach trees advanced 
in price at this period to about $1.00 each. 
No one can tell now how seriously the nurseiy bus¬ 
iness may l)c affected by the present war or what the 
prices will be at the close of the present war, which at 
this date seems not far off, but there are certain condi¬ 
tions that are fundamental and can be understood at a 
glance. 
The seedlings, that is the little trees grown most largely 
in France, in ordinary times are imported to this country 
in large amounts. These seedlings are the base of the 
nursery business. During the past few years the French, 
being actively engaged in war, have not laeen able to grow 
these seedlings as heretofore, therefore the supply has 
been so largely reduced that American nurserymen can¬ 
not hope to receive a full supply. Further than this, the 
shipment of these seedlings from France of late has been 
precarious and uncertain, therefore American nursery¬ 
men have no assurance that they will continue to receive 
from France these important products, without which the 
nursery business in this country cannot be conducted as 
successfully as in the past. 
Here is a peculiar circumstance: Nurserymen propa¬ 
gate trees most largely by budding. The buds after being 
inserted in the seedling stocks have of late years been 
tied and held firmly in place by a product known as 
raffia, a silky ribbonlike substance which holds the bud 
firmly in place until it has obtained a foothold in the 
little seedling. 
Of late it has been impossible to secure a supply of this 
raffia, which has in past years been imported from 
Europe. Nurseiymen have been obliged to use substi¬ 
tutes. In many instances these substitutes have failed 
utterly to protect the inserted bud. As a result the bud¬ 
ding of many nurseries has been an absolute failure, not 
only causing nurserymen serious losses but diminishing 
the supply of fruit trees. 
Herein is indicated what certainly cannot be denied, 
that there is good reason for assuming that the production 
of fruit trees in this country will be greatly reduced in 
the next few years. 
There is still another reason for higher prices. The 
winter of 1917-18 was one of the most severe ever known, 
causing the destruction of a large portion of the fruit 
trees growing in nurseries of this country. Peach trees 
iji particular were wiped out by the million by the severe 
winter, and in many instances apple, pear, plum and 
(juiiice trees were utterly destroyed. 
A further reason why higher prices must be expected 
for fruit trees is that the cost of everything entering into 
the production of (i’(‘(‘s has advanced in price*. The [)rice 
of labor has incre'ased, and the; cost of produchtg a tree^ 
is largely laboi’ cost, but aside* freem this then's ai'c many 
items necessary te) the nursery business which ce)st neew 
me)re than twice the e)relinary i)rice. I j'efer te) reepe*, 
twine, burlap, lumber lor boxe's, labels, paper lor lining 
boxes, etc. 
Neetwilhstaneling the* pre)S])e*ct ive advance) in price*, .e)f 
nursery pre)elu(*ts, it is protitahle te) plant fruit tre*e‘s. The 
U. S. government has shown its a])preH*iatie)n e)f the*, value) 
e)f fruits as a war pre)du(‘t by aieling the inelustry iri 
niany w ays. 
OBSEHVATIONS ON PEAK BLKIIIT IN ILLINOIS 
It is stated that conditions in central and se)ulhe*rn 
Illinois favor se)vore outbreaks e)f [)e*ar blight. It is 
thought that the use of tre3es pre)pagate'd e)n the meere re¬ 
sistant Japanese stock may prove to be e)f practical value 
for Illinois growers, the grafts being made preferably e)n 
the larger limbs to avoid body cankers. 
Apple blight was especially severe in southern Illinois 
in 1914. A Study was made in 1915 of the disease on 
10-year-old pear trees and of control measures at Savoy, 
about 1,000 buds being treated w ith water suspensions 
of bacilli applied with a camers-hair brush, half of these 
being covered immediately with wet cotton to prevent 
drying out. No significant difference in degree of in¬ 
fection developed between the treated and the untreated 
lots. Infections through rapidly growing shoots, es¬ 
pecially w^ater sprouts, were numerous during portions 
of the summer following wet w^eather in 1915, recent in¬ 
fections being seen as late as August 4. Insect agency 
appears to be important. 
In the early spring of 1916 a few holdovei- cankers 
were observed on trunks and larger limbs, giving abun¬ 
dant infective material and spreading the disease 
throughout the orchard. Kieffer pear trees appeared to 
be more resistant than Garber, as regards pear blight. 
No exuding cankers w^ere obseiTed after the pears had 
bloomed. 
Bordeaux mixture applied just as the first fiow^ers 
were about to bloom controlled completely the blossom 
infection on Kieffer pear trees and did not interfere with 
the setting of the fruit. Lime-sulphur spraying, started 
later, was not quite so efl'ective .—Experiment Station 
Record. 
The Connecticut Nurserymen’s Association held their 
Annual Summer Outing, August 21, 1918, at Lake C.om- 
pounce, Connecticut, reaching this delightful spot by 
auto. Fine turn out, and a good base ball game. In fact, 
the enthusiastic fans had two games. The losers were 
so badly beaten that they begged the writer not to men¬ 
tion the score. The feature of the game w^as the unusual 
batting ability disj)layed by Messrs, (aimpbell and 
Barnes. In fact, it .seemed that the pitchei* was unable 
to get a ball past them. 
The management at Compounce is to be {*ongi‘atulated 
upon the barbacued sheej) dinner it served, diff(‘i-ing fi'oin 
some resorts, in that we w'(‘r(‘ bountifully served at tabh*. 
The Association Ix'ld no busim'ss meeting. Everyom* 
appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. 
