250 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"First, all vacancies in any orchard may be filled with, trees of an- 

 other variety that blooms at the same period as the variety to be poUen- 

 ized. If the vacancies are sufficiently numerous this is all that is re- 

 quired. If not, then enough of the trees should be top-grafted with a 

 suitable variety to accomplish the purpose. In place of working an en- 

 tire row a good way to secure the desired effect is to top-work or graft 

 one tree in every nine. That is, beginning with the second row and the 

 second tree in the second row of a block, top-graft that tree and every 

 third tree in that row, and every third tree in every third row thereafter. 

 If you will lay out a block of thirty-six trees, six trees each way in a 

 square, and put a circle around each tree to be top-worked, you will dis- 

 cover that each tree so worked will be in the center of a little square of 

 nine trees. In other words, all trees in the block adjoin a tree of another 

 variety diagonally or at right angles." 



J 



ABOUT PEDIGREED TREES. 



We have just now a period of great agitation in the business of apple 

 growing. This agitation is directed towards its increase and improve- 

 ment. All over the country from ocean to ocean new orchards are being 

 planted and old and hitherto neglected ones are getting such an over- 

 hauling as never befell them in former times. There is little doubt that 

 the next ten years will see a most remarkable transformation of apple 

 growing especially in that part of the country lying east of the great 

 plains. To the west of this division the new era is already established, 

 but even here there may be yet great progress. 



Everywhere the growers are demanding to know the best methods; 

 they want to know how to grow the best possible quality of fruit, to know 

 the best methods of cultivation, spraying, pruning and marketing. In es- 

 tablishing their many new orchards they want the better quality varieties 

 and they want the best trees that the nurseryman is able to supply. 



This last has doubtless contributed largely to the practice that seems 

 to be increasing of growing so-called "pedigreed" trees. The common 

 method of growing such trees seems to consist of propagating from 

 individual bearing trees of known excellence, as distinguished from the 

 more usual practice of the nurserymen of cutting his propagating wood 

 from young trees in his nursery rows. 



INDIVIDUALITY WITHIN THE TREE. 



Now, the fact that'individual trees in the orchard differ greatly in the 

 amount of fruit produced and also show pronounced differences in form, 

 color and quality is one that cannot be denied; and the differences, es- 

 pecially in productiveness, are greater than many orchardists suppose. 

 Furthermore it does not seem reasonable in many cases, to attribute these 

 variations to differences of soil, exposure or any other environmental in- 

 fluences, though such influences do greatly affect all varieties, of course. 

 There are individual differences that proceed from within and not from 



