96 A"N'KUAI RBPOBT 



Mr. Elliot would not recommend them for tree-claim planting. 

 If planted at all it should be among other trees for nurses, as they 

 are tender while young. 



Mr. Pearee had failed to raise them, though well cared for. 



Mr. Grrimes thought our soil unsuitable. 



Mt. Cutler had seen' beech trees on sandy or gravelly soil, but 

 not on black loam. 



Will a fruit tree ever come into bearing while all its cells are 

 alive and growing from center to circumference? 



Mr. Pearee. No. A fruit tree with its cells all open and sap 

 walls closed will always grow and never bear. They will never 

 bear where there is no lime. Cells become filled when buds form 

 and fruit is born. 



Mr. Underwood. How can sap exude from dead wood ? 



Mr. Pearee. The wood may be inactive and still be alive. 



Has any one in Minnesota succeeded with the Willow Twig, or 

 any other long keeping apple in Minnesota by top grafting ? 



If so, on what stock ? 



No response, but question printed to be called up again. 



What varieties have been successfully top-worked on Duchess, 

 and what on Whitney No. 20 ? 



Mr. Underwood. The Duchess grows too slow for a stock to 

 top-work on vigorous varieties of the apple. 



Mr. Phillips. Mr. Wilcox suggested Whitney No. 20 to top- 

 work on. I budded two trees to Haas, and the union is perfect. 

 Think No. 20 a good tree to top-work. It is thrifty enough for 

 anything. 



Mr. Pearee concurred. 



Mr. Underwood. I have never heard Whitney No, 20 called a 

 fast grower. 



Mr, Phillips, Whitney No. 20, after the first year from plant- 

 ing in orchard is one of the most vigorous growers infth^ entire list. 

 It has a wonderful tendency to throw out strous: roots that will sup- 

 port any amount of top. 



Secretary Gibbs. Prof. Budd, of Iowa, recommends Whitney 

 No. 20 and Virginia for top-working for family orchards, using 

 certain congenial sorts, but for trial of the new Russians he recom- 

 mends to plant two-year old Duchess grown on hardy roots, and 

 to top-work them the next spring. Similarity of races of trees and 

 congeniality of sorts to be united must be kept in view in top- 

 working. As the new Russians from the arid regions of the Volga 



