286 MINNESOTA STATE HOKTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



ADAPTATION OF SCION AND STOCK FOR THE 

 IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT. 



A. J. PHILIPS, WEST SAI.EM, WIS. 



This is a subject which can be discussed in a very few words. 

 Experience and observation, too, have taught me that the main point 

 in adaptation consists in having the stock and scion as nearly equal 

 in size as possible, so that their powers of assimilation are as near 

 alike as. may be; by that I mean that their powers to furnish and 

 utilize sap food be nearly the same. This I find makes a stronger 

 growth, heals over much quicker and makes a more perfect and 

 solid union than where stock and scion are not adapted to each 

 other, and I find that the better the adaptation in these respects is, 

 the more marked will be the improvement in the fruit. I can show- 

 trees where the grafting was done many years ago in limbs so small 

 that the scion had to be inserted within one inch of the body of the 

 stock. The adaptation was so perfect that the body now has 

 grown over the scion, and it is hard to detect where the grafting 

 was done. 



The main point — in fact, I think the only practical point — to 

 be made in improving fruit by grafting, after we consider adapta- 

 tion, consists in using the most vigorous stock that we can find, 

 as I find man)- failures caused by using some of the slow growing, 

 weak varieties. I am of the opinion that among the large lot of 

 seedlings in the orchard of the late Peter M. Gideon there will be 

 found some fast growing, vigorous, square-shouldered varieties 

 that will make excellent stocks for top-grafting, even though the 

 fruit may not be desirable. So well am I satisfied of this that 

 on a visit there after his death I found several that I tried to obtain 

 scions of for this very purpose, but his son said he had then no 

 authority to let them go. This is good w : ork for some of the 

 young horticulturists, of which I am happy to see so many in 

 attendance at this meeting. This looks very encouraging for the 

 future success of your society. 



Mr. Brand : Where do you get your scions ? 



Mr. Philips (Wis.) : I get them from my own trees. The man 

 that tells the last story generally has the better chance. I had been 

 bragging right along that my grafts had made a bigger growth than 

 those of any other man in the state, eight feet one inch, but Mr. 

 Wilfert came in here yesterday and said he grew one eight feet ten 

 inches. You cannot get that growth unless the scion and the stock 

 are adapted. Our society abused the Walbridge. It is the best 

 apple we have in the state today. It keeps well and the tree is hardy, 

 but we put it out of our hardy list years ago. 



Mr. Lord: We understood you once to say it was thrown out 

 on account of quality. 



