250 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Mr. Rupel: I should think about four years old for grafting, and 

 about one year for budding. 



Professor Fulton: Yes, a two or three-year-old tree does very well, 

 ordinarily. 



Member: I would lilie to ask, Professor Fulton, in this connection, 

 whether from your experience the Spy is, by reason of its freedom from 

 attacks of root rot, or woolly aphis, and its general vigor and strength 

 and desirableness, superior to other varieties? 



Professor Fulton: I don't know that it is superior. Our experience 

 with the Spy stock is limited. The trees that we work in this way are 

 young. It is true that they are doing very nicely, but as to how well they 

 will continue to do, I would not say from our experience, but only from 

 the light of experience of those who have practiced this method and Avho 

 have used this tree as a stalk. But I do know that the Spy, being such 

 a vigorous, strong grower, is commonly used for this purpose; but there 

 may be some varieties preferable to the Spy, because of its vigorous 

 growth; I do not say there is not. 



Mr. Rupel: Is what you call the Spy from the Spy seed, or from a 

 root grafted? 



Professor Fulton: It is procured from the nursery, and it would be 

 a Spy grafted upon a seedling, a Spy top; Just the body would be the Spy. 



Professor Hobbs: I notice Professor Bailey recommends the Spy root 

 as being comparatively exempt from woolly aphis. This, in the southern 

 part of the State, or south of the Ohio river, is a very serious question; 

 in this part of the State, farther north, it is not of so much importance, 

 because we have cold and severe winters. 



Professor Fulton: Our experience with the younger trees is that 

 they are not wholly exempt from attacks of woolly aphis, that there are 

 very many other varieties of trees quite as vigorous as the Spy. 



Professor Hobbs: The question in my mind is as to whether it is ^ 

 necessary to single out this particular variety to make a stalk for top- 

 working, but I suppose it will take more time and experience to settle 

 the question definitely and satisfactorily. 



Mr. B. S. Smith: In regard to the effect of grafting on its early bear- 

 ing or late bearing, it is claimed by some that late bearing stock will 

 have its effect upon the grafted stock, and that the Spy grafted in that 

 way, when the Spy is used as a stalk, will not come as early on the stalk 

 as an earlier variety. Has it been your experience to determine whether 

 the Spy is a favorable stalk as to that? 



