SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 217 



and scion, or to the use of stocks of too large a size, or to misman- 

 agement in the process of growing the tree, or to some other valid 

 cause, and not to the principle involved. It is claimed by some, that 

 top-working, to be successful, must be done in the branches. Well, 

 if any amateur or orchardist desires to do his own grafting, 1 have 

 not the slightest objection, but if this work is to be done in nurseries, 

 where it ought to be done, in order to benefit the public at large, 

 branch-grafting is entirely out of the question on account of its great 

 expense, and since the setting of one scion — standard-high — upon 

 the stem of the ''iron-clad" stock-tree answers every purpose, just 

 as well as the setting of a dozen scions into the branches neither Mr. 

 Whitney, Mr. Fluke, nor myself have any time to fritter away with 

 needless, superfluous work. 



The selection of suitable varieties to be used as stock trees for 

 double or top working is of prime importance and the following 

 characteristics should be rigidly kept in view, to-wit : perfect hardi- 

 ness under all existing climatic conditions, congeniality to the 

 scion, sound foliage, not subject to mildew and rust, a free, upright, 

 vigorous habit, early maturity of the young growth, and persistency 

 of rest during warm weather in winter and until the opening of 

 spring. With the trunks of our trees thus constituted, we need 

 have no fears of the result. The varieties found to best combine 

 these desirable traits, as far as tested for this purpose, are Whitney's 

 No. 20, Milton, Virginia, Shields and several others of the Siberian 

 type, and Duchesse, Arabian, CharlamofF, Green Streaked, Silken 

 Leaf, Hibernal, and other free-growing iron-clads among the 

 Russians. 



Top- worked upon such stocks, and with rational after-treatment 

 of trees in orchards, we can have healthy, long-lived trees bearing 

 an abundance of the finest and best apples in the world from such 

 varieties as Yellow Transparent, Trenton Early, Bailey Sweet, Gar- 

 field, Fameuse, St. Lawrence, Shiawassee Beauty, Maiden's Blush, 

 Plumb's Cider, Mitter's Red, Wolf River, Wealthy, Roman Stem, 

 Twenty-Ounce, Jonathan, Golden. Russet, Grimes' Golden, Tallman 

 Sweet, Ben Davis, Wythe, North-western Greening, Home's Winter 

 Wine, Willow Twig, and others, and if we add the Duchesse and a 

 few of the most desirable of the newer Russians, which may suc- 

 cessfully be grown by common root-grafting, we have an assort- 

 ment more than ample for all practical needs of the people of North- 

 ern Illinois. 



With the production from seeds obtained by crossing the finest 

 flavored varieties and latest keepers of our old assortment, with the 

 most desirable and hardiest Russians, will result in the production 

 of a race of apples in which these traits shall be permanently united, 

 and which shall be thoroughly adapted to our peculiar climatic con- 

 ditions, is a problem which another half-century may, or may not 



