Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-04-02
Propaoatlna from Bearing Trees.

nurserymen should propagate only
from bearing trees Of known fruit
ing ability. A careful study OF bud
will show that the objection to proga-
eating through long series Of years
from young and INFESTED buds from
nursery rows is we'll founded. A bud
contains the life germ and q perfect
embryo tree possessing the same vas
cular system Of the tree or plant upon
which it grows, and before modern in
vestlgation proved the contrary 1t was
thought no variation ever took place.
But we now know that tree changes
its organism and becomes weak IN
some parts and strong in other parts,
and that when these changes are ef-
fected they are as permanent as any
of its characteristics.
When a tree becomes unfruitful. Its
fruit producing or seed organism is
weak in it's buds, and the tree grow
ing out of these buds will possess these
weaknesses. as repeated experiments
have shown. Take buds from we'll
developed and very fruitful tree and
another from the nursery row, where
1t has been propagated through doz-
en- or more years from the young non
bearing wood. In the first case you
will see a marked difference in the
wood growth. The tree will not look
so smooth and straight as the other.
but under good treatment it will come
into bearing much earlier and be much
more fruitful afterwards. The second
tree will grow smooth and straight
and look much nicer, but its growth
will be wood until late in it's life or
until something is done to bring it
into bearing. Many nurserymen have
experimental and proven the correct
ness of the principle, but people want
cheap, large. straight, smooth-barAed
trees and insist on having them and
/ are SO grounded in prejudice that
j sales cannot be effected at a price
which will justify the additional ex-
pense of maintaining an orchard un-
der conditions to furnish the well-de-
veloped gratis.
So long as the man who furnishes
the big, smooth tree at the smallest
price gets the order there is no induce.
ment to make the change. The change,
however, is coming, and in the not dis.
tant future. every nurseryman will
have to give evidence that his trees
are not all wood, but that they have
a fruit-producing organism developed
in them. SO we snail not have to wait
ten years longer than necessary in or.
der that we may get returns for labor
and care. Next week We will point out
some specific instances of such
.changes.-R. N. Kellogg, Michigan.
AreApple Tree Roots Losing. Vitality?
H. 7. Thompson of Illinois says: In
olden times apple trees lived much
longer, were harder and more vigor-
GUS than at the present time. 1t was
no uncommon thing for trees to live
from fifty to hundred years, and
sometimes longer. OF late years, espe-
clally in the western country, it is sci.
dom you see an orchard over thirty
years of age, and many give out in
from ten to twenty years. There is un-
questionably a cause for this. If we
can find the cause. we have taken the
first step in learning how to propagate,
trees for the orchard. Any commun.
lty or. individual who uses poor stock
to breed from will in time run his
or their stock down so that they will
lack vitality and become, using COM
mon expression, lot of scrubs. Again,
any farmer who uses poor seed be-
cause 1t is cheaper. will in time run
his crop down so his. yield will be less,
poor In quality, less vigorous, and. in
fact, he is growing scrub grain. The
law OF nature holds good through the
animal and vegetable creation. In
my opinion this is precisely what has
been done in propagating apple trees;
You are growing lot of scrubs. Fifty
10 seventy years ago trees were com.
paratively healthy. Sometimes we
heard of limbs or twigs being winter
killed. but very seldom heard Of trou.
Die with the roots. At the present
time three-fourths of all the trees that
die do so from root killing. Many
years ago horticulturists commenced
studying how to get harder tops. They
selected scions from the best and
hardest trees they could find: thew
even ransacked Eurore in search of
hard scio-s to improve the tops, until
at last they have been fairly success.
full Now seldom you hear of tons be.
ing killed with frost. How has it been
with the root? Have they taken the
same care as with the top to secure
strong, vigorous roots? Starting years
ago with hardy root, it has gradual.
~ lost vigor and vitality.
Cheap Plants.
From Farmers Review: As a rule
buy cheap and you get cheap. This
same principle. think. holds true in
the Nursery business. We often see
strawberry plants quoted at q very low
figure. and II purchased from these
parties are generally. of low grade.
I prefer sending direct to a specialist
In the. QrIjWine NJ stro xul,ar,,, n,..A