132 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



years old, a white deer, the parents of which were undoubtedly common 

 red deer of Michigan. About two years ago I picked from a Baldwin apple 

 tree a cluster of three apples, all growing from the same fruit spur. Two 

 of them were Baldwins, and one of them was a perfect Golden Russet in 

 color, shape, and texture; and in slimness and length of stem, as com- 

 pared with the Baldwin, and I did intend to find out whether the quality 

 was such, but I laid the three aside to take to the horticultural meeting 

 and ere 1 knew it I forgot them and they decayed, so I did not have a 

 chance to test the quality; but if I ever saw an apple that was a Golden 

 Russet, that was one on that stem. I will state that the next tree south 

 of the Baldwin tree was Golden Russet. That was simijly a sport. 



Mr. Morrill: There might have been cross-pollenization there. 



Mr. Kellogg: If he had taken this shoot and propagated it, and the 

 same thing had continued, then there would be evidence that that was 

 a true bud variation ; but he only had the one tree, and it may have 

 been in blossom aloue; it may have been affected by an insect, or some- 

 thing might have hurt the germ or changed it in some way. A man never 

 should think of starting a fruit orchard until he has gone down and taken 

 that short course in horticulture and learned the art of propagation 

 in a scientific and correct way; that is what the winter term is for; it 

 is not to bring up a lot of nurserymen, but it is to enable a lot of prac- 

 tical men on the farm to learn these things. I have no doubt but the 

 bud variation of which Mr. Graham speaks, was the result of carelessness. 

 A man may have one tree in a peach row, and he in making his bud 

 cuttings cuts a lot of buds from that, and then goes on. And look at 

 it — all scattered over, a lot of mixed trees. Some nurserymen every 

 year or two, to prevent just such a thing as that of which Mr. Graham 

 complains, renew the stock, but they do not like to bud continually from 

 bearing trees on account of getting friut-buds instead of leaf-buds. 



Mr. Morrill: Prof. AVaite asked a question as to whether there was 

 any positive' evidence in this line. I would like to hear from you on 

 this point. Is there any, have you ever seen any test? 



Prof. Waite: No, I have not. I have not seen any test myself. There 

 is some evidence, but there are a good many cases cited that have not 

 such absolute certainty back of them as to make the proof positive. 



Mr. Kellogg: It is claimed that the nectarine is a sport of the 

 peach. Have you any evidence of that? 



Prof. Waite : All I know is that that is what the books say, that is the 

 literature on the subject. I never made a nectarine out of a peach, nor 

 have I seen the thing done. 



Mr. Morrill: You know you can even find almost an ideal nectarine 

 on the Alexander peach tree. Our fruitgrowers understand that. You 

 can frequently find almost an ideal nectarine on an Alexander tree. 



Mr. Kellogg: The question is, can you perpetuate that almost nec- 

 tarine? 



Prof. Waite: When I asked that question, I was in earnest; I wanted 

 to know if von reallv knew anv cases. I am rather inclined on general 

 principles to believe that there must be something in bud variation, 

 but so far as my own experience goes I have nothing definite. I say 

 it is a matter of general principle rather than of specific illustration. 



Mr. Morrill: In your department at Washington, would that not nat- 

 urally come under your observation? 



