ROOT-KILLING OF APPLE TREES. 291 
trees, except to a few who knew what a budded tree was, and to those he 
delivered budded trees. Eastern men are working that scheme right along 
in the west. 
Professor Hansen referred to Mr. Patten. I believe people of the west, 
gentlemen, have always underrated the work Mr. Patten is doing and has 
done. He is one of the most careful pomologists in the west. He has a lot 
of stuff here. I think he has some seedlings that will be very valuable to the 
people of the northwest. He tells me that after experimenting with all these 
crabs to produce good roots he has discarded two varieties that were always 
recommended. He tells me that after his experience he finds the Virginia 
and the Martha do not produce as good seedlings as some other varieties. 
He gave me this list: He says the Whitney No. 20 he has never grown a 
seedling from that was not hardier than the original. He says you may see 
the most beautiful and most uniform tree he has grown from the Briar 
Sweet—good, strong branches and dark colored bark, and it seems to be 
hardy. Sweet Russet and Minnesota. These are the first he gave me for 
root-grafting. This word I had from Mr. Patten recently, and I do think 
his experiments are very valuable. Mr. Patten is not going to let any 
scions go until he knows they are right. I saved ten of these crosses which 
I considered the best I could find on his grounds. Mr. Patten has three 
hundred of those crosses, and I selected those ten as the best. Mr. Elliot 
has the list if you want them. 
Col. Daniels: The Secretary of Agriculture tried an exhaustive exper- 
iment, and it was tried at the Nebraska Experiment Station. I cannot re- 
member what the result finally was, but the whole experiment I consider 
was invalidated by the most remarkable fact that I think we have in the 
history of scientific horticulture. When the experiments from year to year 
and from one plat to another were described, the experimenter reported that 
on account of the weather being very dry he gave the trees no cultivation, 
and , therefore, there was a stunted growth. It is a remarkable fact that a 
man should live to the age of discretion and pretend to know anything 
about tree culture and make any such break. I supposed that every tree 
grower, or even any man who has had experience in corn growing, knew 
that if we cannot get straw or manure or even weeds to mulch with we can 
substitute a shallow bed of two or three inches of dirt. If any one wishes 
to get the result of that experiment you can do so by sending for the bulle- 
tin. Forty-four years ago in the first nursery in Wisconsin this question 
came up, and it was held at that time that some fruits do better one way 
and some another. I know that thousands of trees grafted on the roots 
were sold in Kansas. I have no doubt it is in a great measure a question 
of after treatment as to perfect healing: 
Mr. Dartt: If the root we graft on to is less hardy than the scions 
we put on it the more of that root goes with that tree, the more you will 
get less hardy stock; consequently the piece-graft is better than the whole 
root-graft. 
Berry Baskets for Planting Seeds.—The melon, tomato and cauliflower 
seeds were planted in old berry baskets and sunk in the hotbed, then the 
bottom of basket was cut out when the plants were transplanted. The small 
plants are much easier handled in this way, and the soil is not disturbed 
about their roots. 
