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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
alkaline. 
I)r. Coville’s experimental work which lias been done 
in the greenhouse luis shown that aluminum sulphate 
w hen applied to an ordinary soil is an effective and inex¬ 
pensive method of changing the soil reaction from neutral 
or alkaline to acid. Where soils have been so treated the' 
stimulation of growth of the rhododendrons has been very 
great, as much as 250 per cent, increase in the diameter 
of the rosettes of seedling rhododendrons having been se¬ 
en rial. Crude aluminum sulphate is used in the chemical 
industries, is not expensive, and in large quantities can 
be purchased from dealers in chemical supplies at about 
$5 per hundred pounds. 
Experiments that have been in progress for several 
years past have shown that soil acidity is required not 
only for rhododendrons but for azaleas, kalmias, and 
practically all the plants of the health family, besides 
many orchids and numerous other plants of ornamental 
horticulture" that are commonly regarded as difficult of 
cultivation. There is every reason to expect, said Dr. Co- 
ville, that these other plants also can be made to thrive in 
ordinary soils through the use of aluminum sulphate. 
Experimental work in this matter has not been carried 
on for sufficient length of time to be certain that long con¬ 
tinued treatment with aluminum sulphate may not lead 
to the development of unforseen difficulties, such as the 
formation of hydrogen sulphide or other compounds of 
sulphur injurious to this type of plants. For the present 
Ihe aluminum sulphate treatment should be regarded as 
experimental. 
Large rhododendrons growing in the deeper soils of 
outdoor plantings were not tested in these experiments, 
but for such situations, it is believed, amounts of alumin¬ 
um sulphate up to half a pound per square yard may be 
applied advantageously and safely, if the soil is of the or¬ 
dinary fertile type, the application being repeated if the 
soil is not made acid by the first application. 
In an ideal rhododendron soil aluminum sulphate is 
unnecessary and useless. Persons desiring to experiment 
with sickly outdoor rhododendrons are advised to apply 
the aluminum sulphate to only a portion of the plantings, 
always leaving another portion untreated for comparison. 
GROWING TOO MANY VARIETIES OF FRUITS 
SPOILS THE PROFITS 
To the Nurserymen of the U. S. A.: 
I wonder if it has ever occurred to the members of the 
trade who grow an extensive list of varieties of trees and 
small fruits that there is a surer way to better and clean¬ 
er profits than under the present system of growing? 
From close application to the nursery business for the 
past thirty years and with an intimate knowledge of the 
retail and wholesale, as well as the growing end of the 
game, I am of the opinion that the nurserymen of today 
are growing too varied and extensive a list of varieties 
of fruits and in doing so are losing money. To grow a 
long list of varieties is expensive. Producing in large 
quantities reduces the cost to a minimum. We all realize 
T am sure, it is cheaper to grow, dig and handle 50,000 
trees in 20 varieties than it is to handle this same num¬ 
ber in fifty varieties and less chance of mixup. 
There are many firms who catalogue and list in their 
retail price list as high as TO varieties ol apples, and 
there are some firms who list as many soils in their 
wholesale trade list. Now, stop and think ol the immense 
amount of detail work involved in connection with such 
a list, both in the field and in the packing cellar, in the 
aggregating and stock record keeping, and in the writing 
up and filling of orders. It is perfectly ridiculous and a 
waste of time and money to attempt to grow such a list. 
Fully one-half to two-thirds of the 70 sorts could be 
eliminated entirely without danger of any appreciable 
decrease in sales. This would cover varieties for which 
there is a very limited or an uncertain demand, also va¬ 
rieties of little or no merit to recommend themselves to 
the public. Here is where the losses creep in, growing 
what I would term these unprofitable sorts. There is 
usually a surplus of these on the market and a great 
many find their way to the brush pile. A list could be 
made up containing say not over 25 varieties of apples 
and this would cover the range of the best all around 
sorts in all apple growing sections. Then why grow the 
poor sorts? The cost of growing is relatively the same. 
It is just as easy, in fact, it should be easier for a sales¬ 
man to sell a customer a choice apple, as it would be to 
sell him a poor one, and by educating the public to buy 
the best varieties, we are thereby doing a favor. This is 
something that will redound to the nurseryman’s credit 
in the end. 
I will not take up space in attempting to make up a 
list of recommended varieties, as such a list would not 
fit in all sections. The East has its own idea as to what 
constitutes the best sorts. And this also holds true in the 
West and South. The question of what varieties should 
be grown and what to cut out is largely a matter for 
each individual nurseryman to decide, depending upon 
his sales. 
I firmly believe the wdiole matter of economy and bet¬ 
ter profits resolves itself into this one thing, and that 
is the elimination of the growing of poor sorts and sorts 
for which the demand is rather limited or uncertain. Let 
us all prune our budding lists down to the very minimum, 
growing only the very best varieties, those now being 
used most generally for commercial orchard planting. 
It goes without saying these would at the same time be 
the best for the average city or town customer who wants 
only a tree or two for back yard planting. If those con¬ 
cerns who are doing an agency business will take the 
trouble to look over the catalogues put out by the mail 
order concerns, they will find there a very limited list, 
covering only the choicest varieties, (he standard market 
sorts for which there is a general demand. They have 
the right idea. 
I have mentioned apples here as an example and for 
the reason that the list of apples is perhaps the longest, 
but the general idea of eliminating the poor sorts can be 
safely carried out all along the line of fruits, with much 
benefit accruing to the grower. In this way there is 
bound to be less waste, less fuel for the brush pile. It 
w ill increase sales in the better class of fruits. 
I would like to hear what some of the other brother 
nurserymen have to say on this subject. 
JOHN A. KUSSE, Mgr. Wholesale Dej)t., Brown Bros. Co. 
Rochester, N. Y., March 10, 1923. 
