750 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



"(3) The best distance apart for the rows is 4 ft. Under this system alternate 

 rows should be banked and bleached, and then removed when the remaining rows 

 are similarly handled. 



" (4) Celery for winter use, planted in boxes, cellars, or pits, should have the roots 

 pruned back to 2 in. in length and the bunches should also receive considerable 

 to]) pruning, but the outer stalks should not be stripped off. 



"(5) White Plume is the best variety so far for general culture." 



Grafting the apple, S. 0. Mason and I. Jones (Kansas 8ta. Bui. 

 65, pp. 18. ph. 7). — In the introd notion to the bulletin the authors con- 

 sider the objections usually urged against grafting. The objection 

 based on the variable character of seedling stocks is considered valid 

 unless the grafts are planted so that roots are thrown out above tbe 

 point of union of stock and scion, thus placing the trees on their own 

 roots. 



Experiments were begun at the station in 1889 to test the merits of 

 various lengths of scions and different portions of the roots for graft- 

 ing. No. 1 apple roots from French Crab seedlings were used. In tbe 

 first experiment, uniform Gin. Ben Davis scions were grafted on dif- 

 ferent parts of roots. Tbe tops of tbe seedlings were cut off below 

 tbe crown and tbe roots cut into 3 pieces. One hundred grafts were 

 made witb the upper part of the roots, 100 with the middle part, and 

 100 with the lower part, or tips of the roots. About 80 per cent of 

 the grafts made with tbe upper and middle parts of the roots grew and 

 at 1 and 2 years old there was little difference between the trees grown 

 from them. Of tbe grafts made with the root tips only 60 per cent 

 grew. The first season the trees of this lot averaged one-third less in 

 height than the other lots and were more slender and weak. Tbe 

 difference was less marked tbe second year. 



The same year that the above experiment was begun 100 Ben Davis 

 scions 2 ft. long were grafted on the upper parts of roots cut below the 

 crown. At 2 years old these trees were about one-half larger and 

 stronger than the trees from G-in. scions on similar stocks. Many of the 

 tops were so heavy as to necessitate summer pruning. 



In 1893 more extensive experiments were begun to test tbe merits of 

 various lengths of scions and stocks and the merits of grafting above 

 and below tbe crown. The stocks used were all No. 1 seedlings, 

 regraded to get a more uniform lot. The scions were also as uniform 

 as possible. Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Ben Davis, and Maiden Blush 

 were used in each series of grafts made. Three lengths of scions, 

 G, 12, and 21 in., were used. With each kind of scion 1 lengths of 

 stocks were used, namely, piece roots 1^, 2£, and 5 in. long, and whole 

 roots. For all piece-root grafts the upper parts of roots were used. 

 In all cases except where 1^ in. stocks were used one half of the grafts 

 were made 1-in. above the crown and the other half below the crown. 

 Besides the above a number of grafts were made on 2J-in. piece roots 

 of small size. In all 9,200 grafts were made. The grafts were stored 

 during the winter under uniform conditions, and in the spring set in 



