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Fall Planting.

The several letters reproduced mY
are absolute copies we received in re-
sponse to a letter we sent asking for
opinions on the advisability of fall
planting.

We want you to read them
thoroughly and carefully and be
governed by them in ordering your
nursery stock.

Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.

iy Louisiana, Missouri.

United States Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Plant Industry.

Washington, D. C. June 22, 1910
Mr. William P. Stark,
Louisiana, Missouri.

Dear Sir: Replying to your letter of June
16, I wish to say in regard to fall planting that
Downing was undoubtedly correct when he says:
‘*EHarly autumn planting is greatly preferred in all
mild climates and dry soils and even for very
hardy trees, as the apple, in colder latitudes.’’

Wherever the hardiness of the tree is absolutely
beyond question fall planting is advantageous for
many reasons. Part of these reasons are directly
connected with the physiology of the tree and
part of them are of a purely practical nature in
dealing with the carrying out offarm work.

When the nursery tree is perfectly dormant and
has shed its leaves or is about ready to go into
this dormant condition, it is ready for transplant-
ing. Fall planting is at its best when done early.
The ground can usually be well prepared to
bring the earth in contact with the roots and root
growth during the mild weather of mid-autumn
takes place to a considerable extent. Especially
in the south trees may actually become rooted
and the wounds heal before cold weather sets in.
It is necessary that the tree should become pretty
well established to get the best results from fall
planting, though with hardy stock on moist soils
the tree can generally be handied at any time
when the frost is out of the ground.

In our southern states fall planting goes on clear

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through the winter even merging into spring
planting. If the soil is unreasonably dry, such as
only occasionally happens in the Eastern States
but a condition common west of the Missouri
river, fall planting should not be attempted.

From the standpoint of practical management
of the work fall planting has many advantages.
It puts this work out of the way of the spring rush
when there is always more work on any farm to
do than can possibly be turned out by the force.
The period of time available is often longer
particularly in the south. There isa very large
proportion of cloudy days favorable for planting
and handling nursery stock. Wherever the trees
then will thrive equally well, fall is the time to
do the work for business reasons.

Now as to results.

Ist. Fall planting gives better opportunity for
careful handling ofthe trees and actually doing a
good job.

2d. Where the planting is properly done and
the trees are not injured by cold, they are ready
to start into growth at the first beginning of spring,
even before it is possible to get onthe ground
for spring planting. Under average conditions,
therefore, the fall planted trees will live better
and make more growth than the spring planted
trees.

Objections to fall planting.

Ist. When nursery stock is dug too early and
the leaves stripped before the stock is ripe, the
trees do not leave as well nor grow as vigorously
and may possible be injured by winter killing.

2d. Inthe cold northern sections or with any
fruit trees where the hardiness of young nursery
stock may be questionable, the trees should not
be exposed to this danger but had better be
planted in early spring. Tender stock may
even be dug by nurserymen in the fall and then
spend the winter safely in storage houses or
buried entirely in the ground.

3d. On clay land or bad pasty soil, fall
planting nursery stock sometimes heaves or is
lifted by the frosts partly or wholly out of the
ground. This can be avoided by mulching or
by spring planting. Ofcourse, as a rule such
clay land is not well adapted to fruit culture and
should not be planted at allor until it is im-
proved by incorporation of humus, etc.

4th. Fall planting exposes the stock to the
danger of injury by rabbits, mice, or perhaps by
other accidents. This can be avoided by ordi-
nary care or by the well-known methods of
poisoning mice and rabbits.

Summary. Fall planting is advantageous in
permitting the fruit grower to get ahead with
his work.

If the ground is too wet and soggy so that it
will bake in the spring or if it is a pasty clay so
that the trees will heave from frost, it is ob-
jectionable.

If the ground is unreasonably dry either from
its sandy or shaly texture or from lack of rain,
fall planting is dangerous. This is particularly

true in the north and especially where young
nursery stock might be more or less tender during
severe winters. Under these conditions, trees
may be dried out and killed by freezing before
they are able to draw from the soil moisture.

Yours very truly,
M. B. Waite.
Pathologist in charge.

Delaware College
Agricultural Experiment Station

Newark, Delaware, June 23, 1910
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Gentlemen: It is a good practice in _ this
country to doas much fall planting as possible in
setting our young orchards. It has been our
experience that a fall planted tree does at least 50%
better the first year than one that has been planted
in the spring. Yours truly,

C. A. McCue,

Horticulturist.

Department of Horticulture
Oregon Agricultural College
and
Experiment Station.

Corvallis Oregon, June 30, 1910
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Missouri.

Gentlemen: In reply to your recent letter con-
cerning fall planting I will state that for Western
Oregon, including the Willamette Valley,
Umpqua Valley and the Coast Counties, also
Rogue River Valley in Southern Oregon, 1!
would by all means recommend fall planting.
For the higher altitudes of the state and for those
regions that are subject to low temperature in
winter I would recommend spring planting. The
severe frosts that we have had the past two years
have been along the lines of very premature fall
frosts, followed by colder winter temperatures
than is customary.

We have been experiencing in Western
Oregon considerable winter killing, whereas un-
der normal conditions we suffer very little from
such causes. From our experience during the
last two years, I would urge the growers of
Western Oregon and Southern Oregon west of
the Cascades, to plant in the fall, or at least not
later than February. I have noticed that we
have had less winter killing from fall planting
than from spring planting and that the trees take
hold much better when planted in the fall.

Trusting that this will be of assistance to
you, I am Yours sincerely,
C. P. Lewis,

Professor of Gen’! Horticulture and Pomology.

Alton, Illinois, June 23, 1910
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Crchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.
Gentlemen: I prefer fall planting and do all I

can at that season. You have fully expressed
the reasons in your ‘‘A Talk on Fall Planting’’
which I fully endorse. Truly,

E. A. Riehl,

Horticultural Experiment Station.

Maryland
Agricultural Experiment Station

College Park, Prince Geo. Co. Md. June 20, 1910
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Gentlemen: Replying to your favor of the
16th inst. will say that I am most certainly in
favor of the fall planting of apples and pears at
least in all portions of this country except where
the winters are most severe. In bulletin 144 on
*‘Apple Culture’? I gave my reasons for fall
planting. I think that in the milder sections
other fruit trees also could be planted to ad-
vantage in the fall. I have seen peach trees
planted in fall in central Delaware that succeeded
splendidly. The greatest drawback to spring
planting is the fact that so many trees cannot be
planted early enough. A spring-set tree if planted
early will be practically as good as a fall-set tree.

Yours very truly,
C. P. Close,

State Horticulturist.

McKinney, Texas, June 22, 1910
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Ina temperate climate we find fall and early
winter best time to plant trees, especially hardy
deciduous trees, shrubs and plants. At this time
the tree has more vitality, the soil is warmer and
in better condition to settle around and heal the
broken roots, new roots form early and the tree
becomes more strongly anchored and prepared to
pass the heat of summer. With these accumu-
lating advantages the trees grow larger, live
longer and produce more fruit and better fruit.

E. W. Kirkpatrick.

lowa State College
_ Department of
Horticulture and Forestry

Ames, Iowa, June 23, 1980
Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Gentlemen: Theoretically the autumn time
affords ideal conditions for transplanting. The
center of activity in the plant is the protoplasm
in the cell. Within certain limits the growth and
activity of the protoplasm is stimulated by heat
and retarded by cold.

In the fall of the year the soil is warmer than
the air. This condition is ideal for root develop-
ment, thus assisting the newly moved tree in be-
coming re-established, and on the other hand the
cooler atmosphere tends to hold back the top.

Generally speaking, the soil is in better con-
dition for work in the autumn and it is also a

more convenient time for this work.

Replying to your questions as to the advisability
of fall planting in Iowa, I would state that if the
conditions are right excellent success may be
had, but there are two very important points
which if ignored are likely to result in failure.
The first is, the tree must be transplanted early,
just as soon as the leaves drop in order that they
may become re-established before winter.
Secondly, if the autumn is dry the work is likely
to be a total failure. On the other hand if the
planting is done early and the rainfall is normal
it is an excellent time to do the work.

Yours very truly
A. T. Erwin,

Associated Professor.

University of California
College of Agriculture

Berkeley, Cal. June 21, 1910

Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Gentlemen: Fall plantlng and spring planting
in California are local matters in the different
regions of the state. Over the greater area of the
state fall or early winter planting are superior be-
cause the young trees speedily makes roots and
establishes itself, while spring planting is apt to
bring the tree into the dry season without having
had an opportunity to thus fortify itself.

Very sincerely,
E. J. Wickson,

Dean and Director.

Seattle, Wash. July 1, 1910

Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Louisiana, Mo.

Gentlemen: Replying to your inquiry or June
16th relative to fall planting and spring planting,
{ would say that for mild climates I much prefer
fall planting. Where the climate is too rigorous
for fall planting, I much prefer to get my trees in
the fall and heel them in for spring planting. In
the issue of the Ranch for July 15th I will dis-
cuss pretty fully the questien of fall and spring

planting. Very truly yours,
F. Walden.

University of Missouri
Departmunt of Horticulture

Columbia, Mo., June 18, 1910

Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co.
Eouisiana, Mo.

Under favorable conditions fall planting is probably pre-
ferable to spring planting of fruit trees in any climate where
the kind of fruit trees in question is perfectly hardy. By
favorable conditions is meant mainly if the soil is moist
enough in autumn so that the trees will not dry out after
being planted.

Often there is more time to do the the work in autumn,
and the planting will be out of the way before the rush of
spring work comes on.

In a mild climaie, autumn planted fruit trees will make
root growth and become somewhat established before the
ground freezes in winter, and will therefore be ready for
immediate growth when spring comes on,

The soil is much warmer in the fall than it is in the spring.

This stimulates autumn root growth. Fall planted trees
have whatis almost akin to bottom heat during the autumn,
especially in climates where the summer is long and hot. It
should be borne in mind that the soil has not yet attained
its greatest sum total of heat during the hottest part of sum-
mer. Jt continuesto store up heat to a greater and greater
depth until cool weather at autumn comeson. In Missouri
our soil has its maximum store of heat somewhat late in
October. This heat gradually passes off during late autumn
and winter. Often in late autumn this heat coming out of
the soil keeps the roots of the trees warmer than their tops
are kept inthe air above. This stimulates root growth very
much asa mild hot bed would do.

This favoring of autumn root growth is well illustrated by
the fact that autumn set cuttings of the pear, persimmon
and other plants in Texas and the south root very readily
before cold weather of winter. While similar cuttings set
in the far north where the soil has no such store of summer

J. C. Whitten,

heat fail entirely to root. * *
Prof. of Horticulture

The above information was gathered to correct
the erroneous impression that tree and shrub
planting could only be successfully done in the
spring. Where practicable we advise you to buy
and buy now your nursery stock. Write us
we'll tell you whether or not you should plant
this fall or hold stock until spring.

Stark Bro’s
Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Louisiana, Missouri

Two Stark Helps
SPECIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT

If you are contemplate planting an orchard in either a
large or small way, let us assist you. Our Special Service
Department will advise you as to best varieties for com-
mercial or home orchard, best methods and time of planting
in your locality, spraying, care of trees, amd other valuable
information. This service is given without charge and will
in no way obligate you to buy of us. This department is
maintained to promote greater interest in the planting of the
best and most profitable varieties of fruit known.

STARK YEAR BOOK

A practical, plainly written, easily understood volume
of guidance and help for the planter of fruit trees, small
fruit plants, vines and other nursery products. Itis of equal
value to the beginner or the experienced. It is a complete
catolog of the nurserv products grown by Stark Brothers.

» The Stark Year Book for 1910 contains 116 pages and
cover.8xllinches. 32 pages are devoted to illustrations
of fruts and flowers in natural colors. 84 pages are given to
descriptions of varieties, the record made by each. You
are told in what section of the country each variety will snc-
ceed and the season when fruit will ripen. Much general
horticultural information, written so simply that a child can
understand it, is distributed throughout these 84 pages. You
will find The Year Book totally different and far better than
anything in the line you have ever before seen. It should
be your text book. We will mail to you for 10 cents ia
stamps which only covers mailing cost.

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