374 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BERRIEN COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORTED BY 6ECRETARY KNISELY. 



OFFICERS FOR 188C. 



President — W. A. Smith, Benton Harbor. 

 Secretary — A. J. Knisely, Benton Harbor. 



Meeting on January 21, 18S5. 



On the subject of " The Influence of the Stock on the Graft," Stephen 

 Cook said : 



This is a subject as yet but imperfectly understood. The field for investi- 

 gation and experiment in this direction is a large one, and the interest that is 

 felt in matters pertaining to fruit culture cannot fail to direct attention to this 

 and similar matters that have, heretofore, been in a great measure overlooked. 

 When Ave graft or bud a tree already budded or grafted, we call it "double- 

 worked." Mr. Barry says : "Certaiu very important advantages are gained by 

 it." Some varieties are of such a slow, feeble growth that it is impossible to 

 make good trees of them in the ordinary way of working on common stocks." 



In selecting stocks on which to bud or graft, we should choose those that are 

 hardy and of strong, vigorous growth. We find not only that there is often 

 an improvement made in the growth of the tree, but also in the size and 

 quality of the fruit, by double-working. This is especially the case with cer- 

 tain varieties of the pear or quince stocks. The trees commence bearing 

 sooner, and the fruit is larger and finer in appearance. 



My experience with apples is that if the more tender varieties are grafted 

 onto Northern Spy, Oldenburg or other Ironclads, they are much hardier. 



Nursery stock is generally produced from seed taken from the cider-mill — 

 all sorts — which are root-grafted and set out in the nursery. A graft set into 

 a root produced from the seed of a vigorous, thrifty grower will make a much 

 better tree — more vigorous — than will the same kind of a graft set into a root 

 produced from the seed of a feeble and slow-growing tree. I prefer apple trees 

 double-worked. With pears there is still more difference. Some varieties, 

 like the Duchess, bear younger and produce finer fruit when dwarfed by being 

 worked onto quince roots. But pear trees on quince roots are more liable to be 

 winter-killed in the root; and for this reason should be mulched in all locations 

 exposed to the full sweep of the wind. Some varieties of the pear do not form 

 a solid junction on quince roots. By double-working, pear trees come into 

 bearing much earlier. 



