160 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



These statements suggest several remarks ; and may also serve 

 to throw some liglit on the reasons why root grafted trees have so 

 generally failed here. 



It would appear ihat some varieties are more likely to succeed 

 when rout grafted than others, which is also confirmed by experi- 

 ence everywhere else. 



It seems probahle, also, that some of the more popular Nom' Eng- 

 land varieties, such as the Baldwin, Russet, &c., are only half- 

 hardy or tender in severe seasons, elsewhere as well as in Maine. 

 Again, the exceptinnal and severe "trial winter," as it is called, 

 was, after all, not so damaging in its effects as many which we 

 have had; for there the Bdldwm stood well as budded trees, w\n\e 

 they icere killed oulrighl when root grafted. Now as tliei-e is no 

 safety in planting budded trees of the Baldwin in Maine, (as a gen- 

 eral rule,) such as there proved hardy when the same sort failed if 

 root grafted, tlie utter icorthlessness of the latter fur our planting 

 appears in a strong liglit. 



The late William li(;id of New Jersej', than whom no one was 

 more competent to speak advisedly, in a commuiiicati(^n to the 

 Horticulturist writes as follows : 



" I would, while speaking of the quality of trees grown in dif- 

 ferent sections of the country, call the attention of parties who arc 

 planting apple orchards to some defects not easily detected. I 

 allude to the millions of apple trees that the country is being 

 flooded with, and distributed in every corner of tlie land by per- 

 sons catling themselves tree agents or pedlars, who cchdc i'rom 

 Western New York. I allude to the trees known as root grafted 

 trees. They aie, to be sure, what they term them, root grafted; 

 but the root, if root it may be called, is a very small root, or piece 

 of a root, being only about two inches in length. A proper name 

 to call them would be cuttings, for they are nothing more or less 

 than apple trees grown from cuttings, th(3 small piece of root only 

 keeping tlie gmft alive until the cutting begins to grovir, which 

 makes new roots of itself. The consequence will be, after a i'ovr 

 years, or when they begin to bear, that a great proportion of them 

 will blow down with the wind. Being only cuttings tliey are 

 deficient in the strong roots which apple trees have Avhen budded 

 or grafted on seedling stocks above ground, and which are so nec- 

 essary to make strong, liealtliy and permanent trees. And I would 

 advise any person to have nothing to do with any apple tree that 



