276 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMN 
Would a course in tree surgery be worth while for a 
young man who wishes to learn the nursery business? 
C. B. II. 
Practically any subject that will give a knowledge of 
trees or plants is worth while for a young man who 
wishes to become a first class nurseryman; hut in one 
sense tree surgery has not a very close connection to the 
business. The nursery business proper is the propaga¬ 
ting and growing of young trees and plants until they 
become of suitable age to sell while tree surgery con¬ 
sists of doctoring and patching of old cripples. The need 
for tree surgery is largely due to neglect and lack of at¬ 
tention of trees during some period of their existance. A 
tree that is properly cared for when it is damaged by 
limbs being broken off, by storms and other causes, rare¬ 
ly has cavities that have to be chiselled out and sealed 
with foreign substances. When the bough of a tree be¬ 
comes broken, if properly pruned off close to the trunk, 
the cambium layers will cover it healing the wound. It 
is only when short spurs left by broken branches and 
other accidents create a condition that allows fungus 
decay to set in it makes it sometimes necessary to have 
them treated and sealed to prevent further decay. 
Even in these instances of the cavities are properly 
cleaned the decayed wood being chisled away and treat¬ 
ed so that moisture will not lodge in them then painted, 
the same end is attained except that it does not look so 
well and if the cavity is large it gives no surface for the 
cambium layers to cover and form any bark. 
Tree surgery has its proper place in rare and hard 
wood trees that have taken years to grow hut it has be¬ 
come rather a fad of late years; through many going 
into the business that it lias been largely overdone 
through its advocates putting costly work on trees that 
are not worth it. A thorough knowledge of correct tree 
pruning would be found to he a much more valuable 
course of study and practice and in closer connection 
with the nurserymen’s work. 
What is the best way to protect hybrid tea roses? J. 
G. M. 
Everything considered, the mounding of soil around 
rose bushes seems to be the better way to protect those 
that are liable to be injured in the winter. It is next to 
impossible to preserve all the wood from winter injury, 
but providing the base of the plant is brought through in 
good condition, killing of the tops of the branches does 
not materially affect the welfare of the plant. It is cus¬ 
tomary to prune rose bushes back in the spring any¬ 
how, so if the wood of the lower part of the plant can be 
kept in a plump healthy condition and be pruned back to 
a good live bud, the freezing of the tops is immaterial. 
Just before winter sets in, draw the earth around the 
plants and it the plants are so close as not to give ample 
room without disturbing their roots in earthing them up, 
add more soil to the bed. 
Should additional soil be needed, of course it will be 
better to use that of a sandy loose nature; even ashes or 
sand will do and may be removed in the spring when the 
plants are uncovered. 
Standard roses should be dug around, laid over on the 
side and the tops covered with soil as it is very essential 
to protect well the point where the rose is grafted on the 
stock. Before leaving the job be sure that the surface is 
drained so that water will not accumulate and form ice, 
as this condition is always bad with any kind of plants. 
Covering with leaves, straw and such material is very 
likely to make a harbor for mice and other vermin which 
destioy the plants, but if welV earthed up the addition of 
this material may be added if thought necessary. 
Washington, D. C., Octber 3, 1921,—The Bureau of the 
Census, of the Deparment of Commerce, announces, sub¬ 
ject to correction, the following preliminary figures 
from the 1920 cenus of agriculture for the United States, 
with cmparative figures for the preceding census: 
Acreage and Production of Small Fruits in the 
United States, 1919 and 1909 
Strawberries— 
1919 . 
1909 . 
Raspberries— 
1919 . 
Loganberries— 
1919 . 
Raspberries and Loganberries— 
1909 . 
Blackberries and Dewberries— 
1919 . 
1909 . 
Cranberries— 
1919 . 
1909 . 
Currants— 
Acres 
Production 
(quarts) 
119,395 
143,045 
176,931,550 
255,702,035 
50,278 
49,210,447 
3,978 
12,123,062 
48,668 . 
60,918,196 
46,165' 
49,004 
39,945,078 
55,343,570 
16,804 
18,431 
35,260,291 
38,243,060 
1919 . 
1909 . 
Other Berries— 
1919 . 
1909 . 
7,379 7,722,817 
7,862 10,448,532 
5,085 3,903,723 
5,450 5,910,470 
Total—1919 . 249,084 325,096,968 
1909 . . 272,460 426,565,863 
“Treatment of Ornamental White Pines Infected with 
Blister Rust is the subject of Department Circular No. 
177, United States Department of Agriculture. The cir¬ 
cular emphasizes the need for prompt action in treating 
infected trees, and contains many excellent illustrations 
pertinent to the ubject. 
NURSERY STOCK INVESTIGATIONS 
By L. B. Scott 
Meeting of the Southern Association of Nurserymen, 
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 7 and 8, 1921. 
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Southern Association 
of Nurserymen, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to meet with you 
today. I had the pleasure of attending your Atlanta 
meeting several years ago. At that meeting one of your 
members, H. H. Hume, of Glen Saint Mary, Florida, pre¬ 
sented a forceful paper in which he urged the necessity 
of nurserymen and of investigators, both state and fed¬ 
eral, giving their thought and attention to developing in 
America not only ornamental stocks but fruit tree stocks 
as well. The sentiments expressed by Mr. Hume were 
later voiced by other far-seeing men in the nursery busi- 
