r)44 KKl'OK'l' OK OFFICE OF KXl'KKIMKNT STATIONS. 



work aluiiji^ this line lias been reported 1»y flic Kjinsus Station." The 

 expciiments oxtciidcil over a niimhcr ot" years and iiichided tests of 

 the value of li4, 12, and (i-inch scions i^i-aftcnl above and below the 

 crown, and of the use oi whole roots and of ditleiHuit-lenj^th piece 

 roots. The lont>;est scion uniformly produced the best trees, but it is 

 not l)elieved that the increased growth is sufficient to pay for the 

 expense and trouble of making 24-inch scions, and it is believed doubt- 

 ful if it would pay for 12-incli scions. The growth on whole roots was 

 son)ewhat greater during the two years than on piece roots. The third 

 year, liowever, this difference largely disapi)eared. An examination 

 of an orchard set with trees grown on whole roots, ])iece roots, and 

 budded stock showed that the trees had made fully as good or better 

 growth on the piec(^ root and l>udded stock ten years after planting as 

 on the whole-root stock. I'he work of the station leads to the conclu- 

 sion that the manner of propagation counts for little after growth 

 commences. Whole-root grafted apple trees are of no greater value 

 to the buyer than trees grafted on piece roots of 5, 4, or 2i inches in 

 length. There was no constant difi'erence in grafting an inch above 

 the crowMi or an inch l)elow it when the trees were set 3 or 4 inches 

 deep in the soil. In these experiments the principal root growth was 

 made at or just l)elow the union of the stock and scion. 



In experiments at the Illinois Station'' no better results were obtained 

 with whole roots than with piece roots of the same size. Roots with the 

 small side branches left on gave better results than roots of the same 

 size with the rootlets cut away. Roots 5 inches long gave better results 

 than roots 4 inches, 2 inches, or 1 inch long. When not trimmed, 

 roots 5 inches long gave nearly as good results as roots 10 inches 

 long. At the Alabama Station '^ 1-year-old trees which had been 

 grafted on the bottom half of roots made a better growth than trees 

 which had been grafted on the upper half of roots or on whole roots, 

 and it is believed from the results obtained that the superior advan- 

 tages claimed for whole roots are without foundation. In an experi- 

 ment with Summer Wafer apples at the Oregon Station '^ grafting on 

 whole roots appeared to give slightly better results than grafting on 

 either tlie low'er half or upper half of the root. 



AVhen the work at all of the different experiment stations in root 

 grafting is carefully reviewed, the conclusion seems inevitable that, 

 for all practical purposes, grafting the apple on pieces of roots 2^ to 5 

 inches long is likel}^ to prove most profitable to the grower and 

 equalh' satisfactorj^ to the planter. 



«Kansa.s Sta. Buls. 65 and 106. c Alabama College Sta. Bal. 98. 



''Illinois Sta. Bui. 21. rf Oregon Sta. Rpt. 1901, p. 36. 



