2!)0 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
the plant misleads the purchaser in thinking lie is get¬ 
ting something much better than he really is. 
With many kinds of plants that are tibrous rooted 
transplanting is not so necessary to add to their quality, 
hut with the tap rooted and those that do not make fib¬ 
rous roots, regular transplanting is necessary before 
they are entitled to be called nursery grown, as they 
are little if any better than plants dug from the woods. 
Most evergreens should be transplanted at least every 
three years or they do not deserve the title of A1 quality. 
It matters not how well they appear above ground, they 
are not in that ideal condition for moving which regular 
transplanting insures. 
Shrubbery is invariably marketed from two 
to four years after it is propagated, so that 
once transplanting from the seed or cutting bed insures 
a merchantable plant; but in the slow growing kinds 
such as Japanese Maples, Magnolias, Azaleas and those 
choicer things that take longer to mature there is more 
needed than the merely growing, of a good top to make 
them honest merchandise. This is also true of shade 
trees. A standard custom is to transplant from the seed 
bed into growing beds and from thence to the nursery 
rows. This double transplanting insures a merchant¬ 
able tree up to three inches, beyond that the actual cal¬ 
iper does not always add to the real value, so that above 
that size a tree should be again transplanted and the 
proper cost added to them. It is hardly fair to take this 
added cost on the mere size of the tree alone. 
When the National Association adopts its standard of 
grading, etc., it is to be hoped they will emphasize the 
number of times transplanted must be a prime factor in 
grading and pricing. 
STANDARDIZATION 
Address of John Fraser, Huntsville, Ala., Before the 
Southern Nurserymen’s Association, 
Lexington, Kentucky. 
It really seems a pity to spoil an otherwise enjoyable 
meeting by introducing any subject calculated to start as 
much of an argument as this subject of standardization 
should. However, standardization is a matter which 
should receive much careful thought by all nurserymen. 
By standardization I mean not only standardization of 
grades but standard practices as well. 
Mr. Cashman, president of the American Association of 
Nurserymen, appointed a committee to go into the ques¬ 
tion ol standardization a year ago, and I was a member 
of that committee. 
At the meeting of the American Association in Detroit 
in June, this committee submitted a preliminary report. 
Doubtless most of you have a copy of this report, and I 
do not think that I can do better than to quote some of 
the main points contained in this preliminary report. 
To my mind the first thing that comes up is the question 
of standard grades, which is necessary so the buyers can 
know when they buy %-% apple what the caliper and 
approximate height of the tree should be. Naturally 
there is quite a difference in the height and caliper of 
trees grown in different localities. My experience has 
been that almost all fruit trees grow taller in the South 
than in the North, East or even in the West. But in sub¬ 
mitting our report at Detroit we tried to strike an average 
that could be applied over the entire country. Sugges¬ 
tions for grading fruit trees were submitted as follows: 
Grading Table 
APPLE— 
1st Alternate 
2nd Alternate 
S A and up, 5 to 6 ft. 
% to %, 4 to 6 ft. 
Vz to %, 4 to 5 ft. 
% to y 2 ,3 to 4 ft. 
11/16 and up 
% to 11/16 
y 2 to % 
11/16 and up, 4 y 2 ft. and up 
9/16 to 11/16, 3 y 2 ft. and up 
7/16 to 9/16, 3 ft. and up 
5/16 to 7/16, 2 ft. and up 
APPLE (Dwarf) — 
% and up 
Vz to % 
% to y 2 
APRICOT— 
11/16 and up, 5 to 6 ft. 
9/16 to 11/16, 4 to 5 ft. 
7/16 to 9/16, 3 to 4 ft. 
CHERRY— 
11/16 and up, 4 ft. and up 
9/16 to 11/16, 3 ft. and up 
7/16 to 9/16, 2 y 2 ft. and up 
5/16 to 7/16, 2 ft. and up 
% and up, iy 2 to 6 ft. 
% to %, 4 to 5 ft. 
% to %, 3 to 4 ft. 
% to y 2 , 2 to 3 ft. 
11/16 and up 
% to 11/16 
y 2 to % 
11/16 and up, 4 ft. and up 
9/16 to 11/16, 3 ft. and up 
7/16 to 9/16, 2 y 2 ft. and up 
5/16 to 7/16, 2 ft. and up 
peach— 
11/16 and up, 6 to 6 ft. 
9/16 to 11/16, 4 to 6 ft. 
7/16 to 9/16,3% to 5 ft. 
5/16 to 7/16, 3 to 4 ft. 
4y> ft. and up 
3 y 2 and up 
3 ft. and up 
2 ft. and up 
PEAR (Standard) — 
% and up, 5 to 6 ft. 
% to %, 4 to 6 ft. 
yz to %, 4 to 5 ft. 
% to y 2 ,3 to 4 ft. 
11/16 and up 
% to 11/16 
yz to % 
11/16 and up, 4 y 2 ft. and up 
9/16 to 11/16, 3 y 2 ft. and up 
7/16 to 9/16, 3 ft. and up 
5/16 to 7/16, 2 ft. and up 
PEAR (Dwarf) — 
% and up, 3y> to 5 ft. 
% to %, 3 to 4 ft. 
yz to %, 2 y 2 to 3 ft. 
% to y 2 , 2 to 3 ft. 
% and up 
% and up 
Vz to % 
% to y 2 
% to y 2 
PLUM— 
2 yr. % and up, 5 to 6 ft. 
% to%, 4 y 2 to 6 ft. 
y 2 to %, 4 to 5 ft. 
% to y 2 , 3 to 4 ft. 
11/16 and up 
% to 11/16 
y 2 to % 
11/16 and up, 4 Vt ft. and up 
9/16 to 11/16, 3% ft. and up 
7/16 to 9/16, 3 ft. and up 
5/16 to 7/16, 2 ft. and up 
QUINCE— 
% and up 
% to % 
% to y 2 
Another question of almost as much importance is the 
manner of tying the trees, that is, the quantity in each 
bundle. In handling a large quantity of trees of course 
it is much easier to handle if we know exactly how many 
trees are in each bundle of the different grades. Of 
course the large size trees cannot be handled as easily 
in big bundles as the smaller sizes, therefore it was 
recommended that all fruit trees calipering 9/16 and up 
be tied in bundles of ten, and all trees calipering less 
than 9/16 be tied in bundles of twenty. 
Labeling is also a rather important matter, and can 
well be discussed under standardization. There is noth¬ 
ing any more disgusting or discouraging than to receive 
large shipments containing several varieties of trees and 
find a good many labels missing. To get around this it 
has been suggested that each bundle of fruit trees be 
plainly marked with two copper-wired labels. The cop¬ 
per-wired labels cost only a trifle more than the iron- 
wired labels and are not nearly so susceptible to rust 
and at the same time will bend in a great many instances 
where the iron-wire will break. Right in this connec¬ 
tion I would like to suggest that it would be a good idea 
to use printed labels wherever possible. An estimate of 
stock on hand will enable the nurseryman to provide 
himself with an ample supply of printed labels. 
Deciduous shrubs open up another large field, and I 
venture to say that there are hardly two nursery firms 
in the country who send out the same plants for the 
same grades. One nurseryman’s 3-4 ft. Spirea will 
