THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 203 



to grafl or bud the plum. Some of these would make larger and better 

 trees than when grafted on the myrobalan, but all of them had that 

 failing of throwing up suckers from the roots, and \ must say that even 

 now, with any storks 1 have found in Europe and those I am experiment- 

 ing with, all of ilirin will sucker more or less when the root is cut or 

 broken. In fart, they seem to throw up suckers more or less scattered 

 through the orchard row. That is an objection, and I think if you 

 should use some other plum stork — if any other is found that for any 

 reason may be better than the myrobalan, you will have to put up with 

 that drawback. It makes it more or less unsightly in an orchard but it 

 seems something that we can not overcome unless we go back and stay 

 with the myrobalan. 



One reason I thought the myrobalan stork- might be improved upon 

 was because of its tendency, or settled habit of starting growth very 

 early in the spring. I think a great many of our prunes, plums and 

 apricots when they are used on that stock, are forced into growth so 

 early in the spring that they are more apt to have this affection of 

 so-called "sour sap" which generally I believe is caused by a low tem- 

 perature following warm weather. The sap is checked in its flow, and 

 more or less rupture of the sap vessels ensues. 



For thai reason, when 1 was in Europe I looked around and found 

 that the myrobalan stuck is not used at all in any countries I was in. 

 They are grown in France entirely for the California trade. Until the 

 California trade demanded them they were practically unknown and 

 only used in an experimental way as a stock for dwarfing certain 

 varieties of plums but never have been used extensively for any of the 

 stone-fruit family. There are certain stocks there which have been 

 srrown from some of the wild plums and are now fixed as varieties, 

 being kept true by propagation by means of layers and not as seed- 

 lings. Seedlings of course will vary and you can not get uniform 

 stock from them, and that is one reason why we have more variation in 

 the growth and size of our trees on the myrobalan root. There is great 

 variety in the myrobalan as a stock being grown from seedlings. You 

 have ooticed that the seedlings differ in the color of the wood, varying 

 in their shade from a deep green to almost black or a deep purple. 

 Some are thorny, sonic are smooth. Some grow upright, and some are 

 bushy. In Fiance ami England they use stock that is crown from 

 layers, such as the ".Mussel" plum, the "Brompton," the "Common" 

 and so on. The stocks are planted in beds and remain there perma- 

 nently. The sprouts from these stools after rooting are then planted in 

 the nursery row ami there grafted. Whatever that stock is there is 

 no variation from it. as it is an off-shoot from the parent. Those stocks 

 aiv much slower in starting a flow of sap in the spring and for that 

 reason T think they should at least be experimented with to see if 

 there will be any prevention of that very prevalent disease of "sour- 

 sap." 



Passing from that, the main point which T wish to emphasize in this 

 discussion and one to which 1 have given more attention is the study and 

 use of bud-variants. .Men who have investigated this matter very 

 thoroughly of laic years have come to the conclusion and have so 

 Stated that whereas we used to think all new varieties Or practically 



