THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
207 
Walter Hillenmeyer, Lexington, Kentucky, writes: 
Last week I received a real surprise—in a magnificent 
basket of Gladioli—Card reading “From your Friends in 
the American Association of Nurserymen.” 
This illness of mine brought me many pleasant revela¬ 
tions and frankly to have developed so many interested 
friends and acquaintances was worth much of the sac¬ 
rifices and discomforts I had to endure. But—this from 
you fellows just touched a spot that hasn’t been reached 
before. 
Whom am I to thank? I certainly do not want to let 
pass unnoticed or unknowledged this real tribute and 
friendliness. 
I was away the early part of the week in Louisville 
getting completely patched up, and hence the little delay 
in writing you. 
I am in a stiff back brace now, but doing fine. Just 
getting back in harness and I am awfully glad. 
With best wishes, and sincere appreciation, 
Walter W. II ILLENMEYER. 
“IT’S NOT A HOME TILL IT’S PLANTED” 
Nurserymen, Just Nurserymen 
By F. F. Rockwell 
“And who are these?” we hear you ask. 
Nurserymen, just nurserymen. 
“What is the nature of your task, 
Nurserymen, oh nurserymen?” 
We clothe the earth with fruits and trees; 
We give you shade, and flowers to please; 
We multiply the land’s increase— 
Nurserymen, we nurserymen! 
This land of ours, oh Brothers true— 
By planting more, and planting more— 
Make beautiful, and fruitful too, 
By planting more, and planting more. 
“He profits most who serves the best”— 
What service then is there more blest 
Than building HOMES, from East to West, 
By planting more, and planting MORE! 
THE IDENTIFICATION OF DECIDUOUS FRUIT TREE 
ROOT STOCKS 
By Warren P. Tufts, Assistant Professor of Pomology, and Myer 
J. Heppner, Assistant in Pomology, University of California, 
Agricultural Experiment Station 
Horticulturists have at various times devoted considerable 
thought and study to the question of rootstocks. This problem is 
of peculiar interest to the orchardist and nurserymen in Califor¬ 
nia on account of the wide range of soil and climatic conditions 
existing within the confines of the state, bringing into existence 
the most extensive and varied fruit industry of the world. On 
account of this diversity the question of proper rootstocks foi 
different fruits and various environments here assumes an im¬ 
portance not approached in any other fruit growing section. 
Fruit raising has been of the greatest commercial impoi t- 
ance in California for more than half a century, nevertheless 
rich soils and favorable climatic environments of the state ha v c 
been largely responsible for the success of the industry lotbei 
than the expert knowledge of the growers. With the advent of 
higher land values and keener competition, orchardists aie each 
year demanding more specific knowledge of the facts upon \\ 1 11 
their business is based. As the acreage devoted to horticultural 
crops has increased in California, plant pests, insect, bacterial 
and fungal have become more numerous, both by introduction 
from other regions and by adaptation from native host plants. 
Accumulated experience and observation leads the present day 
horticulturist to the conclusion that in order to secure rootstocks 
adapted to various environments, which at the same time are re¬ 
sistant to plant pests, it will be necessary to make a more thor¬ 
ough study of the whole problem. 
Excessive irrigation has caused the water-table to rise in re¬ 
cent years in certain orchard regions to such an extent that the 
root systems are often submerged in water for long periods of 
time. As virgin soils are put under cultivation, new problems 
constantly arise; for example, the calcareous nature of the sub¬ 
soil in one section is causing fruit growers considerable appre¬ 
hension. The leaves of pear trees are here rendered chlorotic by 
the excessive lime content of the soil. Observations have shown 
that trees on certain stocks are more resistant to chlorosis, 
which seems to be physiological in nature. Other problems fac¬ 
ing the present day grower are pear blight ( Bacillus amylovor- 
ous) and oak root fungus ( Armillaria mellea), diseases for which 
no satisfactory methods of control have yet been discovered. The 
remedy for the above mentioned troubles will possibly be found 
in the selection of proper rootstocks. Native untried roots may 
solve many of these problems, but should this not prove to be the 
case, desirable roots indigenous to other countries must be 
found and utilized. 
One of the chief difficulties the California Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station has encountered in conducting a systematic study 
of the rootstock problem, has been the lack of a definite means of 
identification of roots of deciduous fruit trees now in common 
use. In the hope that a more definite knowledge of the subject 
might be had, this investigation was undertaken with two ob¬ 
jects in view: 
1. To determine if possible, constant gross morphological dif¬ 
ferences between the more common rootstocks used for the pro¬ 
pagation of deciduous fruits in California/that might be used as 
a means of differentiation when nothing more than a portion of 
the root system is available. 
2. To differentiate between the various kinds of stocks on the 
basis of microscopic anatomical study of their root structure. 
In a brief article of this nature it does not seem advisable to 
attempt a lengthy dissertation of the methods employed and the 
minute difference discovered. The observations briefly outlined 
below are the results of a year’s study involving close examina¬ 
tion of more than ten thousand microscopic sections and hundreds 
of individual roots collected under as widely varying soil and 
climatic conditions as possible. Roots of various ages were used 
in all cases. 
Although many species of roots appear identical from external 
appearances, distinct differences are to be found in their ana¬ 
tomical structure. 
The chief results of the investigation follow: 
STONE FRUIT ROOTSTOCKS 
1. With the exception of the apricot, color should not be used 
as a criterion when trying to identify a deciduous fruit tree 
rootstock. The color of the apricot root is always beet-red. 
2. The almond and peach roots can be separated by the char¬ 
acter of the lenticels and bark surface. In the former the lenti- 
cels are smooth and rarely protrude more than one sixteenth of 
an inch above the surface of the bark or exceed a longitudinal 
height (distance measured parallel to axis of root) of one-six¬ 
teenth of an inch. The bark of old roots is relatively rough. The 
lenticels of the peach are decidedly rough and protrude one-eighth 
inch or more above the surface of the bark, reaching a longitud¬ 
inal height of the same distance. The bark of this root is 
always smooth. 
3. Although the common peach and Davidiana peach are iden¬ 
tical with one another from external appearances, they are dis¬ 
tinctly different from an anatomical point of view. 
4. The only definite method determined for the identification 
of the Myrobalan plum root is of an anatomical nature. 
5. The bitter and astringent taste of the Mazzard cherry 
separates it from the Mahaleb. 
POME FRUIT ROOTSTOCK 
1. Pear, quince and apple roots are identical with one another 
in many respects, externally and internally. The only positive 
