THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
THE WINTER STORAGE OF NURSERY 
STOCK. 
A VALUABLE COLLECTION OF OPINIONS—STATEMENTS 
OF PRACTICE. 
In answer to a request by the National Nurseryman for informa¬ 
tion regarding the most popular meth od of wintering nursery stocjc, the 
following interesting replies have been received. We are very grateful 
to those who have taken the trouble to answer our circular letter. 
Ed. 
WESTERN NEW YORK. 
In our opinion the best way to store nursery stock in cellars is to 
cord it up in bundles, using liberal quantities of damp excelsior on the 
roots, which should always be on an aisle so that they may get a good 
circulation of air. 
Rochester. Brown Brothers Company. 
In a frost proof cellar we prefer to lay the trees in a horizontal po¬ 
sition, reversing the roots with each layer. Spread a thin covering of 
slightly dampened moss or sauer kraut over the roots of each layer and 
fill all open spaces near the roots with the packing. We build these 
tiers up as high as may be desirable. We aim to keep the cellar at an 
even temperature, slightly above freezing. This has been our prac¬ 
tice for several years and the stock has come out in splendid shape in 
the spring. 
In cellars that are liable to freeze, we prefer to trench the stock in 
standing position in bundles of from ten to fifteen trees. 
Seneca, N. Y. W. P. Rupert & Sons. 
Our storage buildings are all built on the surface of the ground with¬ 
out any excavations. We think the chief elements of success in keeping 
the stock in good condition are to have good ventilation and avoid any 
excess of moisture and these ends are more easily obtained in an above¬ 
ground structure. The building we erected last is 60 ft.xl60 ft. with 
a packing shed annex which is 40 ft.xl60 ft. In the storage part of 
this building are eight air boxes or shafts running from near the ground 
to cupolas that project above the roof. These keep the air pure and 
fresh and since their erection we have had no difficulty in carrying the 
stock through in good condition. 
In packing the stock away for winter we have always corded it up 
with the root-ends of the bundles butted against each other in the 
center of the stacks. This often necessitates using wooden supports 
to hold up the tops of the trees to the same level in the stacks as 
the roots but it enables us to keep the roots well covered and pro¬ 
tected. We do not quite like the method of stacking with the root-ends 
of the bundles on the outside and the tops in the center although we 
are aware that many of the nurserymen are using this method and 
apparently with perfect success. We are careful to cover the roots 
well and feel safer to have them that way than exposed at the sides 
of the stacks with just a little moss chincked in among them. Fruit 
trees and large stock of all sorts are packed in moss but for roses 
and small stock we use sand. 
Newark, N. Y. Jackson & Perkins Co. 
IN THE MIDDLE WEST. t fc 
MINNESOTA. 
We have for several years followed the plan of packing trees away in 
bins, and placing the roots against the walls of bins in such a manner as 
to raise the tops of the first layer about three feet, interlacing them, 
and covering the roots with moist sand. A little rye straw is used to 
hold the sand next to the roots. We use sand because we have plenty 
of it handy, and we found that it packed the trees in tight so that they 
kept well and we could put a large number in a given space. Last 
winter in part of our cellar we used shingle shavings instead of sand, 
and liked it. Cannot get quite as many trees in the bins, but shavings 
are more easily handled than sand and keeps the stock well. 
We were successful last winter in storing trees in pits. We trenched 
them in a warm, sandy side-hill. We first made trenches two feet deep 
and six feet wide; then, beginning at the upper end, we trenched the 
trees, laying the tops of the first row on the ground and then following 
1 1 
with other layers, to the lower end of the pit. We then covered the 
trees over with straw and on the straw put six inches of sand. When 
the covering of sand was frozen we covered the entire pit with straw to 
prevent further freezing. The trees were not stripped, but were taken 
to the pit as soon as dug and covered up. In the spring we found the 
leaves had all dropped off and the trees were in fine condition. We 
shall try the experiment again this winter. If they can be protected 
in this way it will save the expense of costly cellars and there is no dan¬ 
ger from fire. 
Lake City. The Jewell Nursery Co. 
MICHIGAN. 
We have not been persuaded, although many of our prominent nur¬ 
serymen have advocated cording up trees in cold storage cellars. We 
have cellars that we store peach, and tender varieties of pears, sweet 
cherries and plums, but heel every thing in. We have to use more space 
but feel safer by so doing, We know by experience that the natural 
element for fish is water, also the roots of trees is mother earth. 
Kalamazoo, Mich. L. G. Bragg. 
OHIO. 
We have adopted what we call the cording system for winter packing 
of stock in our cellars. We like this method much better than healing 
the trees in sand. The trees carry through the winter better and the 
method is more satisfactory in many ways. By cording we mean we lay 
the trees up in ricks with the roots on the outside, packing them up in 
moss and excelsior. After the ricks are as high as we wish to make 
them, we go through the cellar and place moss among the roots of the 
trees. This moss is to keep the roots of the trees moist and in this way 
we are not troubled with mould on the stock, or the fungus that is so 
troublesome when trees are heeled in, in the sand. 
Troy. Geo. Peters & Co. 
Referring to your subject of “Methods of storing Nursery stock in 
Cellars,” we believe the past severe winter taught the average nursery¬ 
man the importance of getting under cover, in some shape, his salable 
stock at least. There are various ways of keeping stock in storage; 
our old way used to be to heel in, in cellar; now we do very little of this 
but cord up ricks of trees in moss and excelsior mixed, using plenty of 
the mixture, moderately damp only,—too wet we believe being more 
detrimental than too dry,—though of course this depends largely on the 
location and conditions of the cellar. 
For the past five years we have practiced the above plan using plenty 
of ventilation in good weather and with the very best of results. With 
this system several times as many trees can be packed in the same space 
as they would occupy if heeled in the earth; and if properly handled 
will come out in just as good, if not better condition, in the spring. 
Perry, O. L. Green & Son Co., By F. D. Green. 
IOWA. 
We pack trees in cellar in ricks six to ten feet high with plenty of 
wet shingle tow on roots. This we have done for twenty years or more. 
Stock always comes out in spring in best condition. 
Davenport, la. Nichols & Lorton. 
I do not think, that the practice of some firms of tying stock in 
bundles, and stacking it without moss or excelsior among the roots, 
simply covering the outside of the rick, is one that is calculated to 
maintain the vitality of the stock so treated. I have however had but 
little experience in cellaring stock. 
Charles City, la. E. M. Sherman. 
NEW JERSEY. 
In recent years I have had but little experience in storing nursery 
stock in cellars for the reason that where I am now located, the frost 
ordinarily leaves the ground early enough in the spring to render ex¬ 
tensive cellaring unnecessary. 
I am also handling almost exclusively, ornamental stock, the orders 
for which are more easily filled from the field than from the cellar. My 
cellar has walls eight feet in the clear and is almost entirely under 
ground. The excavation has been made in almost pure sand and while 
the cellar is dry, there is no danger of stock placed in it drying out. 
I have had the best of success in cording up the stock in cribs, with no 
