826 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
WHAT THE EAST CAN LEARN FROM THE WEST IN 
FRUIT GROWING 
The orcharding of the oldest of the leading fruit growing 
areas of the Northwest Pacific is little more than a quarter 
of a century old, yet in that time very important innova¬ 
tions have been introduced. Many of these can be profit¬ 
ably copied by the fruit growing fraternity of the East. 
The natural conditions are conducive to the production of a 
handsome product. Bright sunshine and clear air dis¬ 
courage fungous diseases and encourage the development 
of high color and handsome finish. In the irrigated regions, 
the character and amount of growth of tree and fruit may 
to a certain extent be controlled. Aside from these natural 
conditions, the men and their practice are the important 
influencing factors. To offset this is the long haul to the 
world’s great markets. 
1. The Fruit Growers.— 
They are possessed of great 
faith in the future of the country; 
they have unbounded optimism; 
they realize the necessity of 
advertising, and more than all 
they appreciate the advantages 
of cooperation. In their case 
necessity has driven tlfe lesson 
home and experience has fixed 
it. The carefully-worked-out 
systems of cooperative market¬ 
ing in vogue in the apple and 
citrus belts of the Pacific are 
especially worthy of study and 
emulation. 
2. Orchard Practice. —Till¬ 
age is thorough, not desultory 
and spasmodic. The need of 
conserving soil moisture has 
emphasized the f value of . till¬ 
age in utilizing the natural 
supply and its influence on liberating plant' food. Or¬ 
chards are tilled as a matter of course, not as an occasional 
practice. Spraying is practiced because the Pacific slope 
grower cannot afford to produce culls. These cannot be 
shipped and the home market has little use for them. A 
first-class product is the only one he can use in his business. 
Spraying to prevent injury from insect pests and such 
fungous enemies as prevail is thorough and persistent. 
Trees may be sprayed three or five times or more if neces¬ 
sary. Packing—and here is where the great lesson of 
importance to growers in the East can be learned. The 
box package is universal. The style of package assists 
honest packing. The demands of the situation prohibit 
dishonesty. The grading under the eye of a disinterested 
party is uniform. This is what the consumer desires. He 
wants uniformity in the box or barrel of apples purchased. 
Nothing discourages consumption so much as imperfect 
grading whether this merely exhibits lack of uniformity 
or consistent dishonesty. 
The eastern packer has not grasped the situation. The 
use of the barrel aids the packer who is willing to mis¬ 
represent, and the personal manner of grading places an 
additional strain on the man of elastic conscience. 
We of the East need more faith in the fruit-producing 
ability of our climate and soil. We should realize that the 
product of these conditions is a fruit of the highest quality. 
We should preach quality; we should advertise quality; 
and we should pack so that the quality of the grade is as 
high as the product itself. 
Fruit growing is old in the East, but really up-to-date 
methods are to be learned from 
our brethren of the West. We 
have all the advantage of loca¬ 
tion, the soil and climate are 
provided, and let us hope that 
the men who are to inaugurate 
this newer and better system 
of fruit growing are in our 
midst, endowed with energy, 
optimism, and the business abil¬ 
ity to properly exploit the latent 
fruit growing resources of New 
England. 
NEW HORTICULTURAL 
BUILDING FOR WISCONSIN 
COLLEGE AND STATION 
Construction of New Quarters 
Begun at University 
of Wisconsin 
A modern horticultural 
building with pottinghouse and greenhouses' is being 
constructed for the horticultural and plant pathology 
departments of the College of Agriculture of . the 
University of Wisconsin at Madison. The entire new 
structure will cost about $60,000 exclusive of equip¬ 
ment and will provide much needed additional facilities 
for instruction and research work in horticulture and plant 
pathology at the Badger Institution. One range of four 
greenhouses 100 feet long and 20 feet wide is completed 
and a pottinghouse adjoining this is about finished. These 
houses will provide more than twice the glass area in use 
at the present time. , j 
The work of the horticultural department is developing 
rapidly under the direction of Prof. J. G. Moore, recently 
appointed in charge of the department. Associated with 
him are Mr. O. R. Butler, appointed this summer, who will 
devote his attention primarily to research work. Mr. J. G. 
McIntosh is thought by some people to be the finest in quality of all 
£ apples. It is also one of the handsomest. It reaches its highest 
development in. sections north of the forty-second parallel 
,of north latitude at ordinary elevations, but further 
south in the elevated_sections. 
