REPORT OF SEEDLING COMMITTEE, I9O3. IO9 



yielded. We saw a fine collection of transplanted evergreens put out 

 in regular beds with exact precision and cultivated with utmost care 

 and showing fine growth. One of the suggestive object lessons seen 

 here was the top-grafting of a Hibernal apple tree with scions of the 

 Milwaukee. This tree was loaded with fruit, but on account of 

 grafting the limbs three or four feet from the main trunk of the 

 tree the branches were bending to the ground, showing conclusively 

 this was not the best method of top-grafting. I would advise in all 

 top-grafting of old trees the cutting back to within twelve or eigh- 

 teen inches of the main limbs or bodies and pruning back part of the 

 first and second year's growth, thereby making the limbs more 

 stocky and better able to carry the fruit in an upright position. Al- 

 though we were there only a few hours, the many things seen amply 

 paid for the trip, and we felt the time had been well spent. Leaving 

 Albert Lea on the morning train for home, I parted with Prof. 

 Green at Waterville to visit my old friend Seth H. Kenney, at 

 Morristown. Here I saw a fine orchard largely Wealthy and Duch- 

 ess with a few Patten's Greening and other varieties. All had been 

 or were carrying a full crop of fine fruit, estimated at 800 bushels. 

 Many of the Wealthy were overloaded, a thing to be guarded against 

 in fruiting trees of this variety. The fruit on these trees had not 

 been properly thinned to give the largest amount of fine commer- 

 cial fruit. I think nine-tenths of our fruit growers do not give the 

 much needed attention they should to the thinning of the fruit on 

 very productive trees. A tree overloaded with small, immature 

 fruit is very much overtaxed by the drain on its vital strength in 

 maturing skin, core and seeds ; the pulp of large or well developed 

 fruit does not affect the vitality nearly as much. I examined Mr. 

 Kenney's method of top or limb grafting with considerable interest ; 

 that done by grafting Malinda scions in the tops of Wealthy and 

 Duchess I can most heartily recommend, as these trees were full of 

 fine specimens of fruit. The scions of Missing Link apple grafted 

 on the ends of drooping limbs of large trees had made but little 

 growth, but two years after grafting nearly all had developed fruit 

 buds and were bearing a few small apples. The grafting on droop- 

 ing limbs has a tendency to the early production of fruit buds 

 and with tardy bearing kinds may be a very good method, but for 

 best results I think grafting in the tops and main branches of trees 

 will be of the most value. The Malinda top-worked on the Duchess 

 produced fine large specimens of fruit. This I think due to the 

 early ripening of the Duchess, which having been gathered gave the 

 full vigor of the tree to the later maturing variety. Here may be an 

 idea worthy of further investigation. I was shown several new 



