Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-07
TRANSFER EARTH
OF FRANCE AND
UNITED STATES
Soils of Sister Republics Are
Blended for Fruit Culture
Aid

The soils of France and America,
as we'll as the souls of those two
countries, have been blended-liter-
ally.
The most notable instance of the
Incorporation of American soil into
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 it's admiXture of French
dirt, and it is scarcely too much
to say that some particles of 1t have
found their way to practically every
farm throughout the length and
How did it 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 eX-
ception Of the apple, and peach Nest fsb
grating or budding is done are i'm
ported, and even with the apple con-
siderable progress has been made
in producing American-grown seed
lings. From imported French seed
many nurserymen have thus far pre-
ferred to import apple seedlings from
France and to pay more for them
Just now, however, rather deter
mined attention Is turned toward g.
solution of the problem of fruit
of the peach stocks are now home"
grown from seeds produced In this
country.
1--WE are beginning to appreciate
more and more, says one Of the
States department of agriculture,
that our future successful fruit
culture is intimately associated with
the problem of stocks. With the eX-
ing studies have been made on
stocks in this or any other country;
We have followed certain empirical
practices in the past, but as compe-
tition becomes greater and the de-
mand for the highest grades of fruit
and plant products increases, we
must know more of the actual rela-
ton of stocks to quality of product,
to the length of life of the tree or
plant, to adaptability to soil and CHI
mate, to resistance to disease and
insect attacks"
One of the questions to be solved,
according to the department. of agec
riculture, is the practicab1lity OF
producing in this country the mil
lions of ordinary apple, pear, plum
have been secured largely abroad.
Another need is the systematic study
of stocks with a view to their i'm
provement and better adaptabll1ty
to the wide variety of conditions
and needs that exist here and that
are likely to develop as the fruit IN.
dustry becomes more complex. II
fruit Industries are to be maintained,
the department thinks 1t Is 1mpera-
tive that there be available full sup
plies Of the ordinary stocks, and 1t
is desirable to find or develop stocks
that may prevent some of the losses
from insects and diseases.
Problem Complex
"If stocks are to be produced IN
this country to take the place of
those hitherto secured abroad" the
Statement continues, at would seem
proper that efforts should be made
by the government to aid those VINO
are anxious TO know where the work
can best be done and how 1t may
be done to the best advantage. The
problems involved are so complex
that private interests can not well
handle them. The chief problems
are to find regions and soils in this
country. where stocks may be COM
mercialIy grown and to demonstrate
on a commercial scale that such
stocks are equal to or better than
those grown abroad Correlated with
the problems of commercial stock
production is that Of securing seeds
for stocks. There is need for de-
veloping our home supplies. This is
a long time proposition, as there are
few recognized sources of supply
here, such as exist in Europe" r.