Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-09-19
ORCHARD
GL[ANINGS
PRODUCTION OF FRUIT STOCK
Rather Determined Attention Is Being
Turned to Solution Of Problem
in This Country.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agricultural
The soils of France and America,
as we'll us the souls Of those two coun-
tries, have been biended-literally.
The most notable instance of the in
corporation of American soil into the
soil of France was the taking to France
of several barrels of American earth
| in which to bury the body of Lafayette,
but French soil has been Incorporated
into American soil in literally millions
of places. Probably every county In
the United States has its admiXture
of French dirt, and ii Is scarcely too
much to say that some particles of 1t
have found their way to practically ev-
cry farm throughout the length and
breadth of the country.
| How did ii come? On fruit stocks.
The above ground portion of your fruit
trees may be pure American, but the
underground portion Is very likely to
be foreign With the exception of the
apple and peach, most of the Seeding
plants on which grating or budding is
|
apple considerable progress has been
made in producing American-grown
seedlings from imported French seed
Many nurserymen have thus far
preferred to import apple seedlings
from France and to pay more for them
Just now, however, rather determined
attention is turned toward a solution
of the problem of fruitstock produc
ton in this country. All of the peacl
stocks are now "home" grown from
seeds produced in this country.
I'VE are beginning to appreciate
more and more" says one of the plan
Psychologists of the United States de
partment of agriculture, that our fu
ture successful fruit culture is init
mately associated with the problem O.
stocks. With the exception of thu
grape, no far-reaching studies have
been made on stocks In this or an.
other country. We have followed Ger
tain empirical practices in the past, bu
as competition becomes greater and thu
demand for the highest grades of frui
and plant products increases, we mus
know more of the actual relation o
stocks to quality Of product, to tn
length of life of the tree or plant, t
adaptability to soils and climate, to re
sistance to disease and insect attacks.
One of the questions to be solved, az
cording to the department Of agricu
ture is the practicability of producin
in this country the millions of ordinar
apple, pear, plum, and cherry stock
which hitherto have been secured larg'
ly abroad. Another need is the syst
matte study of stocks with view
> their improvement and better adapt'
bility to the wide variety of condition
and needs that exist here and that az
likely to develop as the fruit industr
y becomes more complex. If fruit indu
y tries are to be maintained, the depar
ment thinks it is imperative that thel
J. be available full supplies of the ord
nary stocks, and 1t is desirable to fin
. or develop stocks that may prevel
u some Of the losses from insects ar
diseases.
o IF stocks are to be produced In tn
country to take the place OF tho.
8 hitherto secured abroad" the stat
q ment continues, at would seem prop
n that efforts should be made by the go
IS eminent to aid those who are anxio'
l. to know where the work can best
Is done and how 1t may be done to Il
y best advantage. The problems
volved are so complex that private
terests cannot we'll handle them IT.
10 chief problems are to find regions NJ
,e soils in this country where stocks mi
s. be commercially grown and to demo
strate on commercial scale that SUI
er stocks are eq,ml to or better than tho
!. grown abroad. Correlated with I
ID problem of commercial stock prodl
p ton Is that of securing seeds
or stocks. There Is need for develop
Is. our home supplies. This is lor
a. time proposition. rs there are few r.
rs, ognlzed sources of supply here. su
nc as exist In Europe"