258 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



grafting in general, I heard more objection to it from European 

 horticulturists than I have ever cared to report until more experi- 

 ments were made along this line. Certain it is that a two-year 

 budded tree will usuallv average favorably in size with a three- 

 year grafted tree, because the seedling is already established and 

 can push the bud in stronger growth from the start than can the 

 piece-root-grafted tree, where the graft must first take root itself 

 before making a strong growth of top. 



A word about partial root-killing. There is some reason to 

 suspect that there has been more or less trouble from tender roots 

 every winter, causing early decay and short life. It has, in truth, 

 been the "worm at the root of the tree." It is barely possible 

 that the use of hardier stocks will change our opinion of the hardi- 

 ness of some varieties now rated as being of the second or third 

 degree of hardiness. 



As to the best crabs to use for stocks, whether the pure Sibe- 

 rians or the hybrids, that is an open question. At the far north 

 the pure Siberians will probably be better; while further south 

 where less hardiness is necessary, probably the hybrids will be 

 better. 



H. L. F. Busse: Some growers take pains to know what 

 kind of roots they use, and others take anything they get. Get 

 good varieties and get them from honest nurseymen, as near home 

 as you can, with good roots, and set your roots deep enough. Do 

 not plant them shallow, but set them deeper than they stood in the 

 nursery. In 1884-5 I na( l Wealthy that were set out in 188 1, and 

 more than half of them killed out. A very good place to plant 

 them is on a northern slope where I had mine. I noticed that 

 those trees that were set shallow all killed, and those that were 

 deeper set killed down to the snow line, and most of those I 

 grubbed out. I was so discouraged I just hated the Wealthy, but 

 those that did sprout again did well. You take any tree that is 

 set shallow, and it will not stand. Some four or five years ago 1 

 set -one hundred and twenty-five Wealthy, and they all grew. They 

 were double-worked Wealthy, of the late Mr. Pearce. They all 

 grew except one; but the next winter we had very little snow, and 

 they all killed except eighteen. I took pains to cover some up, but 

 they were all killed root and branch. If I had set them a little 

 deeper, and they had stood another winter, they might have come 

 through all right. Two years ago I noticed some trees were root- 

 killed, but those set deeper on the north slope were not killed. 

 Those trees like Duchess, Hibernal or Virginia you will never 

 find them killed. I set trees now from four to six inches deeper 

 than they stood in the nursery, and the next year I draw up more 

 soil, so thev will make their own roots. 



