service.In fact, one of his great supporters in this service, the late John Carew, once said that
“this Association’sactivities exemplify the finest in extension programs.”

But in contrast to many organizations, Bob Carlson was not left by himself to run the new dwarf
fruit tree association and to make all decisions concerning programs, tours, and publications.
This was primarily a growers’organization with strong grower support and splendid service by
the directors and officers.Time and space do not permit adequate recognition of any, or even
mention of most, but the first two presidents set a high standard which has prevailed over the
years.Wally Heuser, the first president of this association, and Ray Klackle, the second,
provided leadership and good judgment, and propelled the association to uncommon
achievement and tremendous educational experience.

AN INTERNATIONALDIMENSION
The original Dwarf Fruit Tree Association might have declined into the oblivion of many other
spontaneously formed committees and organizations if it had restricted itself too much from a
geographic standpoint or narrowed its subject matter to focus on apple rootstocks alone.Instead,
it wisely recognized that interest in compact fruit tree management is not restricted by state or
international boundaries.The Association’sfirst overseas tour came in 1964.This was followed
by others in 1968, 1971, and so on.These tours attracted foreign members whose participation
in the annual meetings provided a substantial international flavor to the Association.So it
became the International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association.And, even though the name sounds
restrictive, its programs were neither totally dwarf nor totally rootstock oriented.

ALL MANAGEMENT PHASES IMPORTANT
All management phases affecting tree growth, development, and fruiting were a part of the
programs and tours.This factor was particularly important because many people were not
differentiating as to the types of management changes required with the planting of
dwarfing-type trees.Some simply could not realize that dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees planted
at densities of four to five times greater than those to which growers were accustomed needed a
different kind of care than did the old “forever spreading”types.Many dwarf-type orchards
failed as a result of management failure.But the rootstocks, rather than the management, got the
blame.For example, shortly after going to Wenatchee, a good fieldman took me to an orchard to
show what a failure dwarf trees were.He showed me some Delicious on Malling 7, planted
between some old producing trees and growing in quack grass a foot high.Considering the
shade of the old trees and the quack grass cover, it was a wonder the trees were growing at all.
And, as you might expect, the rootstock, Malling 7, got the blame for poor growth.

THE MAGNIFICENTTOURS
As indicated previously, another important aspect of the International Dwarf Fruit Tree
Association has been the tours.Most of these were magnificent excursions.I was fortunate to
attend two or three in the Midwest and have participated in your pilgrimages to the state of
Washington since moving there in 1968.Unfortunately, it has never been my good fortune to
travel on any of your international tours.These experiences have made you, the participating
members of the International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association, among the most enlightened fruit
growers on this globe.This is a fact that will have increasing importance as time goes on.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
All of the programs of this association have been of untold benefit to good orchard management
in this land and others.If you stop to think for a moment, orchard culture and productivity have
made enormous strides during the past twenty-plus years of this association’sexistence.In
recent years, you have embarked on a program of research support.For this, you should be
proud and highly commended.

In speaking of research support, I would pay high tribute to another of your past presidents,
Albert Ten Eyck of Brodhead, Wisconsin.It was Mr. Ten Eyck who initiated and spearheaded
the research support program.He has played a very significant role in the IDFTAfor all these
many years.

TWO DECADESOF PROGRESS
The successful use of dwarf or compact trees has come a long way in these past 23 years.A high
percentage of all apples planted in the decades of the 1960s and the 1970s were size-controlled in
one way or another.Malling 7, Malling-Merton 106, and 111 were used predominantly for
standard strains, while seedling has still remained popular for spur-type Delicious, particularly in
Washington.Malling 26 had limited use until the recent surge of popularity of Granny Smith,
which has stimulated substantial use of M.26 for this particular variety.Row and tree spacings
quickly moved from 20 x 20 feet to 10 x 20 feet, and even to 8 x 16 feet, sometimes even for
fairly vigorous varieties on such stocks as M.7 or MM.106.Many of these orchards did not have
adequate or consistent tree training.Vigorous growth and multiple upright leaders, combined
with the close tree spacing, resulted in crowding, shading, and poor cropping.

Out of these experiences has come a new generation of orchard managers.They are learning that
the scion variety, the rootstock, the soil, the fertilizer program, tree spacing, and tree training
must all be considered together if compact trees and high density orchards are to be successful.
A new generation of horticulture teachers has added to our growers’abilities to develop and
manage these new types of orchards.For example, Don Heinicke has had more impact on proper
tree spreading than any other person.

PROBLEMS UNSOLVED
Even though our knowledge and utilization of the compact fruit tree have reached a substantial
degree of maturity, there are still many problems to overcome.For example, collar rot with such
stocks as MM.106 and 104 is still a serious problem in many areas where soils are less than
perfectly drained.Vigorous scion varieties, combined with such stocks as MM.106, result in
larger trees than anticipated.It is to be hoped that new rootstocks, perhaps some in the MAC
series, may be the solution to some of these problems.In the meantime, it is important that we
all recognize that compact trees planted close together require a special type of care and
management.Placing a large number of trees in a limited space imposes a complex set of
requirements and care if each is to have a fair share of space and be able to produce to its
maximum.It is sort of like urban living versus living in the wide open spaces; people problems
are more intense in Detroit than in Traverse City, and even more intense in Traverse City than in
Acme or Elk Rapids.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
What about the future?Most of you have already determined your orchard future and the trees
are in the ground that will deliver much of your bread and butter for the next 20 years or so.

Each of you will improve what you have and, as time goes by, you will adopt new varieties,
improved rootstocks, and better management systems.In my judgment, semi-dwarf trees,
planted at densities of 200 to 300 trees per acre, will continue to dominate; central leader training
is here to stay and will become more important in these types of plantings.Even in Europe, I
would imagine that labor-intensive systems with trellising and pruning will decline as labor costs
increase.

As everyone knows, we badly need improved cold hardiness and disease resistance in all our
rootstocks—apple, pear, and stone fruits.Perhaps some useful germplasm might come out of
China, which has such a wide range of climate and such an enormous diversity of horticultural
plant species.From foreign sources or breeding programs closer to home, we look forward
enthusiastically to that time when there will be a selection of stone fruit rootstocks with varying
dwarfing characteristics.These developments will come, but only by careful, consistent, and
superbly organized effort on the part of many people and organizations.

THE LEGACY OF THE IDFTA
This brings me to a final point, in a sense to a partial answer to the title of this discussion:the
legacy to the future of the International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association.Legacy means a bequest
or an endowment.What will this association’s be, or what should it be?H. B. Tukey left us a
legacy of wisdom and organization; Bob Carlson has given a legacy of leadership and service, as
have many of you, also; Elsie Klackle has provided a marvelous endowment to assist in the
educational endeavors of this association.Many of you have provided funds to assist in needed
research, and I could go on with other services individual members have provided for the benefit
of this organization and for the fruit industry at large.

In closing, I would commend all of these endeavors and hope that they will continue.But I
would also make one additional suggestion, that is, if you are truly interested in furthering the
science and management abilities of our collective orchard industry.This association has a
broad membership from many states and from outside of the United States.You have much
influence in your communities and you have considerable political clout.The agriculture and
fruit industries of this nation became what they are today because of the combination of our land,
the natural resources, scientific and technological advances, and the availability of risk capital,
all combined with the daring, sweat, blood, and skills of the American farmer.Most of the
science portion of that equation came from our land grant college experiment stations and the
USDA counterparts.These organizations, along with extension, have received less and less
public support as social programs have become more prominent.You are doing a very noble
thing in raising funds for research, but your efforts will come to naught if our traditional research
organizations continue to decline.I would urge that you continue doing what you do now
because you do it so very well, but in the future, also remember that Jerry Mandigo, H. B. Tukey,
Bob Carlson, and Ray Klackle were all public research or extension people.What will your
legacy be if the Tukeys, Carlsons, Klackles, and hundreds more like them are not available in the
next generation because you did not go to bat politically to save the traditional research and
extension programs in our state and federal systems?

1PaulLarsen isretired from Utah State University and livesin Logan, Utah.