CHOP TALK, NO. 3. 203 



noting the shedding of the foliage of the different varie- 

 ties of grafted and seedling trees the past season I find those trees 

 that mature terminal buds early and prepare for winter are in a 

 hardier class than trees which dO' not shed their leaves until the 

 very last ; some of the more tender varieties retain their leaves well 

 up into early winter. From this circumstance I judge we should 

 select seedling trees that have large, fine foliage, mature growth 

 and shed their leaves early or medium early ; are vigorous, free 

 from spurs, with habits of upright growth. Of course there will 

 be exceptions to these rules of selection, but I believe in a majority 

 of cases more good varieties will be obtained in this way than from 

 a haphazard method of planting. 



7. I find there is a wide variation in the growth and appear- 

 ance of seedlings from dififerent varieties ; some at one year have 

 grown only four to six inches, while others are twenty to thirty 

 inches in height. The four to six inch trees at the end of the 

 second year will often have attained a greater height than the larger 

 year olds, showing better form, foliage and indication of becoming 

 better trees for propagation. Some of the most successful or- 

 chardists of Minnesota believe our best fruit trees will be grown 

 from seedlings of our own production or be top-worked on those 

 of the most vigorous growth. Minnesota horticulturists al- 

 ready have the reputation of having produced more seedling varie- 

 ties adapted to their climate than all the other states and Canada. 

 Let the good work go on, and may the younger members of our 

 society recognize it is the only way by which we shall eventually 

 have long lived, hardy, productive orchards of the best quality of 

 long keeping varieties. There has been more apple seed planted 

 in the last three years with the idea of growing trees that would 

 bear the premium Minnesota apple than were planted in any ten 

 years before. The success in raising seedlings by the late H. M. 

 Lyman, T. E. Perkins and several others, has given a great impetus 

 to the production of seedling orchards all over our state. 



8. I have often heard grain farmers say it was much cheaper to 

 grow three bushels of wheat with which to purchase a bushel of 

 apples than to plant trees and grow the fruit themselves ; never- 

 theless, there is good profit in the growing of fruits when the man- 

 agement is conducted intelligently with up-to-date a;ppliances. 

 Every fruit grower should be an experimenter "from start to 

 finish" if he would produce the best results. "Prove all things, 

 hold fast that which is good." 



Mr. D. S. Hall : Were the currant cuttings made in the fall or 

 in the spring? 



