Siberian Crab for Nursery and Orchard. 139 



the question of stocks. You know what a famous young scientist said, 

 "It would have been better for the horticultural world if the art of 

 budding and grafting had never been invented." Some of these things 

 have led us to believe that there is something in that. Whether we 

 get these things that we want is another question. 



MR. PATTEN: Did I understand you to recommend buying the 

 root graft? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: One way we recommond to do is to 

 handle the stocks exactly as you would the Mahaleb stocks. The ultimate 

 effect of these stocks is that they rnake the tree more dwarfy and 

 <;ause them to bear two years earlier. They are also easier to spray. 



MR. HARRISON: Would you not advise grafting on the roots 

 .and get the combination of the root and scion for this country? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: Mr. Patten has tried piece-root grafting 

 on Siberian stocks, and it has not been a success. Down here I would 

 use the prunifolia. If you are not catering to the North Dakota trade, 

 that need not bother you. 



MR. BROWN: You have got to have the root of this hardier than 

 the stock above ground? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: Exactly. There is something about alter- 

 nate freezing that no apple in the world will stand. 



MR. BROWN: Your Duchess top, for instance then, would live 

 in the open air, while the root would perish in the ground? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: Yes, sir. 



MR. BROWN: What is the objection to this grafting process? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: It is a matter of physical union. Some- 

 times, for instance, you bud cherry on Mahaleb stocks, but you would 

 not want to graft them. 



MR. MAR-SHALL: A question of information, — Is the idea on 

 this budding and grafting just to get the graft above ground? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: Yes, sir; exactly. 



MR. PATTEN: Do you find that the seedlings of the Yellow Crab 

 are perfectly hardy up there with you? 



PROFESSOR HANSEN: Yes, sir; absolutely hardy. 



