52 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



3. Japan roots have but little tendency to sucker. French roots 

 sucker readily from plow injury, and blight-infection of such suckers 

 speedily reaches the main roots of the tree. 



4. The pear root aphis — the most serious insect enemy of the tree 

 when oTo\^-n on French roots — does comparatively little injury to the 

 Japan root. 



5. While Japan seedlings vary in their resistance to blight, as do the 

 French, and show different degrees of resistance in different parts of the 

 country, their average resistance is much greater than any other root 

 now in use. This resistance has not been reduced to the terms of a 

 mathematical ratio, but the difference is so great that it is believed to 

 afford relative immunity to root blight in Pacific Coast orchards grown 

 on Japan roots. Their blight-resistant quality is less pronounced in 

 the New England states, and Professor Waite has observed considerable 

 blight injury to Japan-root trees in New York. Their behavior in the 

 south, southeast and southwest has been as satisfactory as on the 

 Pacific Coast. 



6. The Japan root will make vigorous growth with less soil moisture 

 than the French. It should, therefore, prove particularly valuable in 

 all irrigated districts — especially throughout the foothill section — and 

 in all dry soils. Important districts in Nevada and Placer counties 

 that have to pay high water rates, and certain districts that have no 

 irrigation facilities, should adopt this root exclusively, since it not only 

 is adapted to their dryer soils but is strongly resistant to their worst 

 insect pest — the root louse — which in some localities is more to be feared 

 than blight. This root is better adapted to dry, warm climates than the 

 French but its behavior in extremely severe northern climates is yet 

 to be learned. 



The opinions of nurserymen differ widely as to the Japan root, 

 and after extended correspondence I have concluded that the average 

 nurseryman has made but little study of the subject. Prejudice, selfish- 

 ness, and ignorance was reflected in a number of the answers. One 

 California nurseryman, who had only French root trees to sell, stated 

 that Japan roots dwarfed the growth — than which no statement could 

 be farther from the truth. 



It is generally believed that the affinity between the Japan root and 

 some of the European varieties is less pronounced than that of the 

 French, and some nurserymen claim that not so high a percentage of 

 buds will "take" on the Japan stock, thus making the tree more expen- 

 sive to propagate. One Washington nurseryman discarded the root for 

 this reason, having no other criticism. 



It will take several years of experimental work to conclusively deter- 

 mine these points. In our nursery at Grass Valley we have only worked 

 Anjou, Bartlett. Comice and Forelle on Japan stocks, but our stand was 

 satisfactory when the work was carefully done. In our work with the 

 varieties mentioned it seems that Anjou has not "taken" quite as 

 readily as the others, but that may be due to some cause not determined. 

 Where the bud "takes" at all we find the union to be perfect and in 

 every sense satisfactory. However, a Newcastle nursery is said to have 

 had difficulty getting a satisfactory union, but that is a point upon 

 which all nurserymen who replied to the question claim to have had no 

 difficulty. Mr. Barnieott of Newcastle strongly endorses the Japan root 



