2D MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I903. 



for the supposed advantage of this method. For more than a 

 hundred years the mutual influence of stock and cion has been 

 a fertile subject for discussion, but even now there is compara- 

 tively little positive and definite information on the subject. 

 There are some facts which go to show that the stock may have 

 a perceptible influence upon the produce of the graft. Aside 

 from a specific recognizable effect upon the fruit, however, there 

 is little doubt of the importance of using some standard haidy 

 variety, such as Spy, Stark, or Pewaukee, as a basis for a top- 

 worked orchard. The Baldwin, in certain sections of the State, 

 is a very unsatisfactory orchard variety because of body blight 

 and sun scald ; but when top-worked, as indicated, it often does 

 admirably. Individual seedling apple trees vary just as much 

 in vigor and hardiness as do other seedling plants. Hence the 

 importance of using as stock some variety of known vigor and 

 hardiness rather than a miscellaneous collection of seedlings. 

 Not infrequently the inherent weakness of a seedling stock will 

 manifest itself just as the tree reaches the bearing age ; with the 

 result that the orchard is spotted and unsatisfactory. Figure 15 

 shows such a case on the cultivated plot described on pages 7-10. 

 This tree bore nearly a barrel of fruit this year, but made no 

 growth, dropped its leaves early, and will probably fail to start 

 next spring. 



Another advantage of top-working the variety desired is that 

 cions may be selected from particular trees of known value. 

 Cions taken from a tree producing large quantities of highly 

 colored fruit, true to type, will be likely to give satisfactory 

 returns when taken to the new orchard. On the other hand 

 nursery grown stock may have come from buds taken from other 

 nursery trees or from trees which produced fruit of inferior 

 quality and appearance, and these undesirable qualities are just 

 as certain of being perpetuated as are the others, — a fact which 

 doubtless accounts for manv unsatisfactory orchards. 



