268 



After throwing out those where the growth has been re- 

 tarded by some accidental injury the average of the measure- 

 ments shows a slight advantage both in caliper and height in 

 favor of the trees made on the lower half of the root. The 

 whole root trees average slightly smaller than either of the 

 others. These differences are too slight to be very convincing, 

 but they seem to indicate that the extravagant claims of the 

 advocates of "whole root" trees are not well founded. 



Northern vs. Southern Grown Apple Nursery Stock. 



Of the apple trees planted at the Station during January, 

 1898, part were grown in Missouri, part in Alabama, and part 

 in Georgia. All were first-class in every particular and while 

 planting them the evenly good quality of the stock from the 

 different sources was particularly noted. 



On March 11 it was observed that the Missouri grown 

 trees were beginning to leaf out freely, while those from Ala- 

 bama and Georgia were still entirely dormant. Trees from 

 the Department of Agriculture at Washington, planted the 

 spring before, and those in the old orchard, were also dormant. 

 The young trees all finally started a little before the old ones, 

 but those from Missouri averaged at least ten days earlier 

 than the others. They not only leafed out but started into 

 rapid growth much the earliest, and held the advantage all 

 through the first part of the] growing season. Finally the 

 Southern trees caught up with them, and there was little, if 

 any, difference between the lots at the end of the season. 



These trees will be watched with interest another spring to 

 see if they still feel the effect of ^their former Northern en- 

 vironment; but it is altogether probable that they will have 

 become so acclimated as to start no earlier than the others. 



