THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
95 
t Quiz Column. 
A QUERY ON FUMIGATION. FROM CANADA. 
Editor National Nurseryman. 
Sir — I have just read in your March number Mr. W. Newell’s views 
views on fumigation and seeing that he condemns fumigation for San 
Jose Scale, I would like to ask his opinion as to dipping (not spraying) 
for that Scale. Is there no mixture known that when used at the 
proper temperature is a sovereign cure for this pest? It seems to me 
a shame that twenty-seven thousand (27,000) magnificent two-year-old 
trees should be deported when dipping should be effectual. 
New Westminster, B. C., Canada. 
D. M. Robertson, Nurseryman. 
REPLY BY PROFESSOR NEWELL. 
Mr. Robertson has drawn his conclusions a bit strongly in regard to 
my views upon fumigation of fruit trees for the San Jose Scale. I am 
quoted correctly in the March issue and the views expressed therein 
are my views precisely, and I can only reiterate what is said in Bulletin 
II. of the Georgia State Board of Entomology, from which the quotation 
was taken by Mr. Biies. The fact that fumigation with hydrocyanic 
acid gas is the best remedy for San Jose Scale, should not blind us to 
the fact that even fumigation itself is not infallible. There are many 
factors, some of them not always fully controllable, that may prevent 
the fumigation from being thoroughly effective. If we could always 
be sure that our chemicals were pure, that they were accurately weighed, 
that the stock was not packed too tightly or that no limbs came in 
contact in such a manner as to protect individual scales from the gas, 
and were we sure that the fumigating room was absolutely tight, then 
we might be safe in assuming that all scales would be destroyed. Of 
all these points we can never be fully positive and hence no one can 
conscientiously guarantee that stock is free from living scale after having 
been fumigated. 
This is simply a case where we must understand and distinguish 
between "absolute certainty” and “great probability.” The fumiga¬ 
tion with hydrocyanic acid gas is not an absolute remedy, but it is the 
best that has been devised so far. Personally, if my orchard were 
located ih a locality where the San Jose Scale already exists, I would 
as soon plant infested trees (provided the infestation had not been 
severe enough to injure the vitality of the trees to any great extent) 
that had been properly fumigated, as to plant any others. On the 
other hand if my orchard were located in a country or neighborhood 
where the San Jose had never been found, I should not care to plant 
infested trees no matter how many times they had been fumigated, or 
by whom, as I should not care to take even one chance in a half mil¬ 
lion of introducing the pest into a locality where it is unknown. I 
think that in saying this, I am expressing the opinion of the majority 
of progressive peach growers throughout the South, if indeed not 
throughout the entire country. 
I might add that one of the reasons why fumigation has not always 
been fully effective has apparently been on account of the adulteration 
of potassium cyanide with sodium cloride (common salt). The presence 
of any considerable quantity of common salt in the cyanide results in 
the decomposition of a portion .of the gas evolved by the chemical 
reaction, and hence less gas, available for the destruction of insects, is 
obtained from each ounce of cyanide . Some interesting investigations 
of potassium cyanide have recently been made by the Board of Ento- 
inology of Georgia, and the results are published in Bulletin 15 of that 
Board- This bulletin may be obtained by addressing a request to 
: Prof. R. I. Smith, State Entomologist, Atlanta, Ga. 
With reference to Mr. Robertson’s inquiry in regard to dipping 
trees for San Jose Scale, dipping in the lime-sulphur wash belore 
planting has been practiced by a good many southern peach-growers 
with good success, but in some cases injury to the trees has followed. 
One such case is cited in Bulletin 14, of the Georgia Board of Ento¬ 
mology/page 30, copy of which is sent you in separate cover. 
Shreveport, La. Wilmon Newell, Entomologist. 
THE MOOT QUESTION OF JUNE BUDS. 
Editor National Nurseryman. 
I come to you for reliable information about peach June buds and 
pear grafts. I have not had good success in budding either peach or 
pear. Have had some correspondence with Southern Nurserymen who 
offer me June buds of peach from four to twelve inches for lining out . 
Now, would the change of latitude be too great? Would they make 
large healthy trees the next year? If they would I think I could grow 
them profitably here. Would they freeze more easily than home 
grown stock, and could I buy Southern grown June budded peach 
trees .large enough for orchard planting grown in Tennessee, all the 
growth made in same season they were budded, have them shipped 
here in Fall, heal in till Spring and get good orchard from such trees. 
Won' t the winter freeze them too much while healed in? 
And how about buying pears already grafted by concerns that make 
a specialty of grafting apples and pears? Labor here is high and 
scarce and if this all can be done successfully I believe I could handle 
the business in this way more satis!actorily than to do the propagat ing 
myself. 
Athens County, Ohio. H. E. S. 
FLORIDA JUNE BUDS ARE TREES. 
REPLY BY AUBRY FRINK. 
I am in receipt of yours ol 25th inst. and take pleasure in replying 
to your correspondence in so far as I am able to give the information 
wanted. 
In the first place, it is necessary in speaking of “June budded peach 
trees” to have an understanding as to what section of the country the 
trees are grown in. If your correspondent is referring to Tennessee 
and sections further north, June budded trees would mean as a rule 
small spindling switches—nothing more. In the lower South it would, 
however, have a very different meaning. With us, June budded 
peach trees mean trees ranging in height from one to eight feet, with 
a preponderance of them above four feet if they have been given the 
proper attention. Summer budding with us is the only method that 
we practice of propagating peaches as we have found by many years 
experience that we can grow summer budded peach trees as large as 
we want them or as large as they will be salable. In fact, it is sometimes 
the case that it is necessary to discontinue cultivation during the early 
fall in order to prevent the trees from attaining a size that would be 
unsalable. We find that these summer budded trees are very much 
nicer looking than we can possibly propagate in any other way. They 
are bright, clean, thrifty, vigorous and in every wav more desirable 
than dormant budded trees can possibly be grown here and give much 
better results when planted into an orchard. 
If budding is done during the late summer, the trees will not of 
course attain the large size referred to and these little trees can be 
used for lining out in the manner spoken of by your correspondent. 
They are desirable for this purpose. 
As far as shipping stock from the South to the North is concerned, 
the trees for the first few months are somewhat at a loss to know how 
to conduct themselves. In other words, they will remain dormant 
longer than trees grown North. After they have gotten a start how¬ 
ever and adapted themselves to the changed conditions of climate, 
there is practically no difference in their hardiness or vigor and are 
fully as desirable as similar varieties grown in the North. Reversing 
this proposition, that is, bringing trees from the North into the South 
during the early spring or fall has the opposite effect, that is the trees 
coming into a warmer climate, start growth sooner than our southern 
grown trees. 
The Southern grown summer budded trees are fully as desirable for 
Northern orchard planting as Northern grown trees. This of course 
refers to the same varities. The variety, and not where it is grown, 
has everything to do with the desirability of the trees for orchard 
planting provided of course the trees have been properly grown and are 
first class stock. 
In reply to your correspondent’s questions as to the feasibility of 
procuring grafts already put up from a nurseryman who makes a 
specialty of this kind of business, would sav that this is quite feasible 
and is often cheaper than one can purchase or grow stocks, purchase 
scions and do the grafting themselves. There are several firms in the 
West, particularly, that make a specialty of selling grafts of pears, 
apples, etc., and at very reasonable prices. 
Glen St. Mary, Florida. 
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