Proceedings Library

For some time we have been experiencing the effects of labor shortages and a scarcity of good skilled labor, which will become much more acute as the years progress.

To survive and surmount these difficulties, it will become necessary for its to tax our ingenuity to the utmost, and it will most decidedly be to our advantage to be teachable and observant of the methods of management and operation of other industries, which we may come in contact with, and to emulate their success by adopting that which may be of value to us in curtailing time and costs of production.

To accomplish these things, we must observe, think, plan, decide and act. How many men do you know who observe? How much do you trust their observations? When we say observe, we mean gather facts. How do men gather

Why is it then that in spite of all these favorable characteristics the umbrella pine is seen very rarely. The following facts may explain why it is so scarce and why only a handful of nurserymen propagate it. Vegetative propagation is highly impractical since cuttings are very difficult to root. Thirty per cent rooting after approximately six to nine months is considered phenomenal and this rarely occurs. The seeds are extremely slow to germinate, taking approximately 100 days, and when germination does

Propagation by layering presents no special problem. Branches are pinned down to the ground in spring in the usual manner. Some hilling up of the young shoots is done as they develop, and both the layered branches and the young shoots develop roots the first year. As in many other cases, it is not the technique of layering but the separation and after-care which requires skill. With us, Cotinus coggygria is on its northern limit of hardiness, and the young shoots tend to winter-kill, particularly if

The frames are approximately 6' × 30' × 10", and require 10 hot-bed sash and nine rafters. The frames are constructed of one-inch pine for the slides and ends, with 2" × 8" cedar at the base. The frames are lined with Tentest for added insulation. One side of the unit is 28 inches high while the other side is 24 inches high, thus giving slope in order to shed the rain.

In locating the unit, we dig down 8 inches below the ground level, filling in the excavation with cinders. The frame is then placed over this area. Two inches of steamed soil is then spread over the cinders. Next, the cable is laid so that the loops are evenly spaced at 6 inch intervals.

The reason we did not follow it up this past year was because we thought we could get a saleable plant in one season from going into the container early in the spring with an established, potted or banded liner. Having now had one year's production experience with that program, I am not sure we can do it across the board with the line of deciduous flowering shrubs that we wish to market in one-gallon containers.

The purpose of attempting to propagate directly in the container is two-fold, namely, to save cost and time. To an extent these two purposes are interrelated

Cutting wood was collected in the usual manner in January and February. Eight inch cuttings were then made, stored at 70 degrees for roughly two weeks, and then held at 40 degrees until they were stuck directly in the containers in March and April. Multiples of one through four cuttings were used in these experiments. The containers were then put right out in the nursery without any protection. The cuttings rooted and produced saleable 15 to 18 inch plants that same year.

The first year we propagated Weigela, Forsythia, and Philadelphus by this technique. Although I do not have the percentages. I would say we had 75 or 80 per cent stands by this type

Now the question is, "why are these plants slow in becoming dormant in the fall"? Is their dormancy induced by a

Preliminary investigation into the use of cutting grafts for the propagation of Juniperus virginiana varieties began in 1955 when a number of scions of J. virginiana hilli and J. virginiana canaertii were grafted on unrooted cuttings of various species of juniper including J. sabina and J. horizontalis. At that time only a small number of grafts were made and these were placed under a polyethylene tent in a medium of sand and peat. Here they were sprayed with a syringe

The mixes used in these studies varied widely and included soil-sand-peat, soil-peat, sand-peat, perlite-soil, perlite-soil-peat, perlite-peat (German and domestic) , and perlite alone. Within each of these combinations, the percentage of the various ingredients varied in fractions of 25 percent.

These tests included 18 of the common varieties of commercial ornamental plants grown in the Northern latitudes of the United States. The 24,000 plants involved in this work were fed both solid and water soluble fertilizers of two basic types. One type was of a 4–1–1 proportion and the other type was a 1–2–2 proportion. The general conclusions reached

I consider it of primary importance to have a stock block of plants to provide an ample number of healthy cuttings. We take our cuttings from mid November to mid December, since this time of the year seems to work out well for the rooting of most varieties. A cutting of about one quarter inch in thickness and from two to two and one half inches in length is used. Three or more medium sized leaves are generally left on a cutting, although if the leaves are quite large we trim off a portion of the leaf. Cuttings are then heavily wounded,

Materials used in the construction of the leaf included a piece of plastic 2½" in diameter by 3/8" thick, 2 flashlight battery carbons, waterproof glue and 2 bumble beewings, which were joined by their outer tips with a spot of glue. In addition, sufficient

Although it is now generally accepted that the propagation of most species and varieties of Ilex is best accomplished by rooting cuttings, the acceptance of this method is comparatively recent. I recall that in 1946 most growers were maintaining production by grafting, as I understand they still do in England. It is perhaps significant that the first reference to the propagation of Ilex in the Proceedings of our Society was a review by Gleason Matoon, published in 1952, titled "Vegetative

The mulch bed method of seedling production has been used at the Elsberry Plant Materials Center since its establishment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service in 1934. Neighboring, Forrest Keeling Nursery has adopted the method because it fits in with weather and soil conditions of the area. Having shared experience for several years, we are presenting this subject jointly.

One of the first so-called hormones used to stimulate root production on cuttings was indoleacetic acid. However, as

We had a number of questions in mind three growing seasons back, at our home nursery, in Central Ohio. There, we consider our operation to be on the glaciated edge of corn-belt soils, in a quite typical, reasonably severe plains climate. The plants we grow there are mostly listed for Rehder's Zone IV. We are situated on

Shrubs and trees are sold and planted in California twelve months of the year, and retail nurseries in California are open either 6 or 7 days a week. There are peak seasons occurring in the early spring and fall when the demand for plants is greater than in our summer or winter months. To meet these demands the wholesale growers in California have been forced to use mass and container production methods.

Another factor that has contributed to container growing in California is the high cost of land which in many cases amounts to thousands of dollars per acre. Approximately 10 times field production may be realized by the use of container methods. For example, we can grow roughly about 96,000 containers on an

First I would like to spend a moment on the conditions that exist in our area where we are growing about 95 per cent of our stock in containers. It is an area which has rainy weather, cold weather, warm weather, and hurricanes, except for this year. It is a land, as far as weather conditions are concerned, where a little bit of everything might be had. Starting in January of this year and on through until almost the middle of March, we had what we consider a hectic winter. It was rainy and cold, the low officially, about six above zero. For us this was considered cold. Then we had all of our rain in the spring, which was followed by the worst drought in over 50 years. When you are growing in cans and you have no rain, you have got to stay with it all the time. When I look at a plant I can't help but compare the plant to a human being. I don&39;t know if any of you ever look at it that way, but that plant is something living, something you have got to take care of. When a drought comes, it must be nourished. When a plant gets hungry you have got to feed it. When the cold comes, you have to wrap

The germination of a seed and a seedlings subsequent growth are two of natures most fascinating and complex phenomena. In the propagation of Picea by seed, as is true with other plants, this process of germination is of utmost importance. Over a long period of time plant propagators have developed many cultural practices designed to regulate the germination of a seed and its subsequent development. The cultural practices described in this paper may not agree with all the very latest scientific findings on the subject, since the practices discussed are based upon ones actually used at the Evergreen Nursery in Northwestern Wisconsin. They have been developed over the past 92 years by continual study of scientific and commercial findings along with our own experience. Further, the discussion which follows is limited to those Picea species and varieties commonly grown from seed by our nursery. Picea abies, Picea pungens glauca, Picea glauca and Picea glauca densata. The

The uses of plastic film in propagating houses are so extensive and varied that I have made no attempt to compile their uses, many of which are common knowledge. I will confine my remarks to the uses we have already made of plastic film and what part we expect it to play in our future operations. A few years ago we started using polyethylene film to line the inside of a sash house. Since the sash were removed yearly it was difficult to keep it tight without use of the film. The following things resulted from using the film: (1) heat loss was substantially reduced, (2) constant humidity and soil moisture were easier to maintain, (3) the air space between the film and the glass acted as an insulator

In our breeding work with ornamental trees and shrubs we have produced several small ornamental trees which have been named and released to nurserymen. Perhaps the most outstanding example is the "Hally Jolivette" cherry, named after the author's wife. The French name Jolivette means "pretty little one," an appropriate name for the tree, as well as the wife. This tree grows to a height of eight to ten feet and beans semi-double, pink-centered flowers which are borne over a period of about 10 days.

Another small graceful tree is the "Blanche Ames" apple, named after the wife of Oakes Ames, former director of the Arnold Arboretum.

PRESIDENT VANDERBROOK: Gentlemen, we will start the afternoon off with the panel on "The Propagation of Some Unusual Plants." The moderator will be Roger Coggeshall, of the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

MODERATOR COGGESHALL (Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass.) : The program this afternoon will be concerned with the propagation of unusual plants. It will be more or less a continuation of the talks which we have heard both yesterday morning on the propagation of the borderline evergreens and the talk this morning by Dr. Karl Sax.

The propagation of so-called unusual plants or newer plants in The Arnold Arboretum is going on constantly. Some of them have no merit at all as far as commercial arboriculture is concerned, others we think, do.

I would like to show a series of slides which will certainly illustrate some of the material we have at the present time.

(Editor's Note: Mr. Coggeshall discussed

The Park Department is interested in maintaining and adding to its fine collections of plant species and clones and is always on the look out for new forms of plant life. Some of these plants have found their way into the trade, others are only in arboretums and collections. The test of time and climate will determine the usefulness of this plant material.

I would like to say a little about the experimental work that is underway at the present time, as well as some of the

As concerns our actual methods of production I will start with comments on dwarf flowering and

We plan to have the understock grow in our nursery for two years. However, there are exceptions to this, which I will point out later.

We prefer to plant on a sandy soil which is not too rich in nutrients. The ground should be prepared as early as possible in the spring by spreading ¾" to 1" peat over the bed and rototilling to a depth of approximately 8". We use the peat to get a more fibrous root

The most specific of the texts, one by W. L. Sheats, states that five varieties of Norway spruce can be rooted most satisfactorily if taken in October. The cuttings should be stuck in sand overlaying a mixture of peat, sand and loam in a cold frame. They should be covered over winter and kept under shade the next summer, with slight ventilation and hand syringing. Well rooted cuttings, up to 75 per cent can be transplanted the following September.

The identification and synthesis of growth promoting substances led many workers, between 1935 – 50, to try them on species such as Picea pungens, and kosteriana, hitherto considered very difficult. As the results were poor to mediocre, few writers published them.

Dr. Meahl has ably

To start with, I would like to give a brief summary of bedding plant opportunities as they exist.

There is not any question that the market for bedding plants and ornamental plants of all sorts is greater today than in the not too distant past. The home owner's attitude toward the exterior appearance of his home is entirely different from what it was 30 years ago. Just for a moment I would like to quote to you from an article by Paul G. Craig which appeared in the October bulletin of the Ohio Florists Association: "There are a lot more customers around than there were a decade ago, and they have a lot more money to spend. There are today 33 million more persons and 8 million more families than in 1947. There is no

Even this definition is too broad, for in parts of the United States, such as the far South and far West, some material which is of a true perennial nature, must because of tenderness be treated as annuals in the rest of the country and Canada. Some of the plants in nursery catalogs which are listed as perennials are actually biennials, i.e., Campanula calycanthema (Cup & Saucer) , Digitalis (Foxglove), and Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William). Other plants offered in herbaceous lists such as Iberis (Candytuft), Pentstemon (Beard Tongue), Phlox subulata, Teucrium, Vinca minor and the like,

Cuttings were taken from mature plants and cut to a length of eight inches. In an earlier test it was discovered that all root development on this plant originated at a node. For this reason, the treated cuttings were wounded at a