Miscellaneous. 395 



stock he uses for planting. Seedlings used for propagation usually grown 

 from seed that came from cider presses, from fruit picked from old wen 

 out and diseased trees cause the seedlings to be weak and diseased in 

 turn. He believes that here was the foundation of root diseases that are 

 so prevalent. To these seedlings were grafted scions cut from nursery 

 row, .vhich in turn have come from weak and diseased trees in many 

 instances. He condemns the scion orchard, owing to the tendency of these 

 scions to produce weaker trees, subject to barrenness and late bearing 

 habits. Grafting is often improperly done, a large root being placed with 

 small scion, or vice versa, the poor union producing a tree with unneces- 

 sary opportunities for the introduction of disease. 



Seedlings grown from selected seeds from healthy fruit, grafted 

 carefully with scions cut from healthy trees that bear large, well colored 

 fruit, will in time materially improve the varieties now grown. He is 

 satisfied that they can be improved in the life time of a man fifty to one 

 hundred per cent. Trees thus selected are worth five times as much as 

 commonly grown trees, costing no more to plant and grow and will pro- 

 duce several times as much fruit. 



Much discussion followed this paper, developing facts that nursery- 

 men generally believed in and practiced plant breeding and selection, but 

 along with it must keep in mind the practical features. As a matter of 

 fact the influence of the tree above will partly change the effect of roots. 

 It is quite possible to develop root diseases by planting with certain sur- 

 rounding conditions, entirely independent of the health of the seed. The 

 cutting of scions must also be practically dealt with. This year, for in- 

 stance, bearing apple trees did not afford enough new wood growth to 

 furnish over ten per cent of the necessary scion supply, if depended upon 

 these alone, and few orchardists would consent to the cutting of this 

 very small growth from their trees. — Ruralist Report of Arkansas State 

 Hort. Meeting. 



WORKING FOR BETTER FRUIT— SELECTION OF GOOD 



ROOT STOCK. 



At the present time much talk prevails among horticulturists in regard 

 to improvement by selection. It is not improbable that in the near future 

 they will be offering pedigree scions for sale. While selection is all 

 right and important, snap judgments are to be avoided. 



A few years ago a neighbor of mine found on a farm on the border 

 of a meadow a tree bearing extra fine Porter apples. The next spring 

 he took scions from- that tree and asked me to graft them upon a Porter 

 tree standing on his own grounds. I expressed to him a doubt as to their 



