Summer Meeting. 117 



ing". Root-grafted trees are very likely to make such short growth 

 the first season, that, if the terminal bud should be winter-killed, 

 the tree will branch too low, or, if a leader starts from a lateral 

 bud, the body will be crooked. A good nurseryman always wants 

 his first season's growth to be high enough to form the entire 

 body of the tree. At the same actual age and growth, under the 

 same conditions as to soil and cultivation, the budded tree is nearly 

 always larger than the root-grafted tree as ordinarily grown. The 

 longer and better the piece of root upon which the graft is made, 

 the less the difference will be. 



Another important factor in growing the best nursery trees 

 is the selection of scions and buds. And this has been agitate i 

 in the past few years to the extent that some growers are now 

 advertising "pedigree" trees, and we need not be surprised in the 

 near future to hear some grower making the claim that he is 

 having his trees registered and can furnish you a written certifi- 

 cate of pedigree with each individual tree, notwithstanding the 

 fact that he gathers buds and scions indiscriminately from trees 

 of which he knows nothing whatever of their parentage. It is plain 

 to be seen, then, that this idea of "pedigree" trees and plants is 

 evidently akin to whole-root trees, so far as the intrinsic value 

 of the tree or plant is concerned ; and, as we have stated, is purely 

 a business proposition. 



The writer is a strong advocate of the selection of scions and 

 buds, and he believes the best nursery trees are grown from 

 scions and buds taken from young, healthy, bearing trees, which 

 we know to be true to name, and which we know to be prolific 

 bearers, as far as it is possible to do so. But he does not believe 

 that it makes any material difference as to whether the parents 

 of the tree from which we take scions and buds have any record 

 or not, so long as the tree from which we are propagating is a 

 good individual. 



THE DUST SPRAY. 



(By Mr. W. ]). Maxwell, St. Joseph, Mo.) 



On appearing before you to speak upon the question assigned 

 me, I realize I will be at a disadvantage, not having the literary 

 preparation of the present. I was born upon a farm in Missouri, 

 receiving my education mainly in the old log school house, my 



