HORTICULTUEE. 239 



propagation now generally used in nurseries. The author calls attention, 

 however, to the desirability of eliminating the seedling root entirely with the 

 view of doing away with the numerous ill effects of poor unions and the develop- 

 ment of definite and standard root systems, with which the injuries from root 

 aphis and kindred difficulties might be reduced or entirely eliminated. Further 

 work is planned along this line. 



A test was made relative to the influence of scion selection in improving 

 yields. The scions from supposedly superior individual trees were top grafted 

 chiefly on Northern Spy stock and ordinary nursery trees of the same varieties 

 were planted alongside for comparison. The relative yields from the two 

 classes of trees as shown for eight varieties for the seventh year of growth 

 are not sufficiently decisive, either to approve or condemn the practice of scion 

 selection. The results as a whole thus far do not warrant anyone in paying 

 materially higher prices for so-called pedigreed trees. 



Another experiment is being conducted to determine the best stocks for use 

 in top grafting. The Jonathan, Tompkins King, and Grimes apples were all top 

 grafted on Northern Spy, Tolman, Wolf River, Paragon, and Champion stocks 

 and compared with nursery-grown trees of these three varieties grafted on seed- 

 ling roots. In all cases, except one, those of varieties top grafted on Wolf 

 River, the top-grafted trees on known stocks have made a better average 

 growth during the period, 190S to 3914, than those grafted on seedling roots in 

 the nursery. Among the various stocks the trees developed on the Paragon 

 are now distinctly in the lead, with those on Tolman coming second. The 

 superiority of these two stocks for Grimes and Tompkins King is very marked 

 so far as growth is concerned. In smoothness of unions the Tolman and 

 Champion are probably best, with Paragon next, except with grafts of the 

 Jonathan, Avith which variety the Paragon stock has tended to outgrow the 

 scions. Northern Spy stock has averaged third in growth and is about equal to 

 Paragon in unions. Although making an excellent trunk and root system, it is 

 considered less desirable than either Tolman or Paragon for stock purposes 

 owing to its unusual tardiness in starting growth in the spring. Attention 

 is called to some interesting relations between certain stocks and scions 

 observed by S. Fraser, of Geneseo, N. Y. This nurseryman finds that the 

 Twenty-Ounce top grafted on Baldwin makes from ,50 to KH) per cent better 

 trees in five to eight years than when worked on Northern Spy. The Wealthy 

 does very poorly on Rhode Island Greening, whereas Rhode Island Greening 

 does very well on Wealthy. Hubbardston scions top grafted on Ben Davis, 

 Northern Spy, and Tolman resulted in such peculiar changes in twig color that 

 they could not be used with safety for further scion wood until they had proved 

 their identity by coming into bearing. 



Four experiments in dynamiting orchard soils were started in 1912. Two of 

 these were on orchards just being planted and two on 25-year-old Baldwin trees 

 which had become more or less sod bound. Briefly stated the results for a 

 period of three years have failed to show any appreciable benefits, either in the 

 young or the old orchards. 



In one experiment started in 1908 the orchard was divided into 45-tree plats, 

 each involving three varieties of trees. The following treatments have been 

 followed annually : Tillage, tillage and intercrop, tillage and cover crop, cover 

 crop and manure, cover crop and fertilizer, mulch, mulch and manure, and 

 mulch and fertilizer. Data secured on moisture, growth, and yield at the close 

 of a 7-year period show practically no difference between the clean tillage plat 

 and the plat tilled early in the season and sown to an annual cover crop of a 

 mixture of red and crimson clover. The use of a tilled annual intercrop early 



3451°— No. 3—15 4 



