l66 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ten's experience as conclusive, and it confirms the advice I 

 heard in Russia against piece-root grafting. In fact, the practice 

 was not favored for ordinary apple seedlings in European nurs- 

 eries, because they did not get the strong, vigorous grow^th ob- 

 tained from trees budded or grafted on stocks already established 

 in nursery. 



i8. It may be necessary, however, to find some way of doing 

 the work in winter, as this winter work explains why American 

 apple trees are considerably cheaper than they are in Europe 

 with their cheaper labor and high priced land ; hence, it may be 

 that whole-root grafts with very short scions may answer fairly 

 well, as I regard it essential that the entire root system should 

 be of the crab. 



19. As to whether pure Pyrus baccata or hybrid crabs are 

 best for stocks, it is probably largely a matter of locality. For a 

 considerable district, such as northern Iowa and southern Min- 

 nesota, probably either will do. As we go northward the one 

 essential is absolute hardiness, which is found only in the pure 

 Pyrus baccata. 



Where shall we get seedlings? There are many old trees 

 of the Yellow Siberian, Red Siberian and Cherry crab scattered 

 about over the northwest. These have been neglected of late 

 years, being superseded by the larger fruited hybrids. Fruit of 

 these neglected trees should be gathered, and the seed saved. 



How shall we get a constant supply of the seed? Every 

 nurseryman should have an orchard of these small fruited crabs 

 especially for raising seed. One advantage of an orchard of 

 pure Pyrus baccata would be that there would be less tempta* 

 tion to put the small fruit on the market. 



20. Where is the best source of seed in Siberia? The main 

 region seems to be in the Lake Baikal section. The climate there 

 is continental, and crops of grain are raised in places where the 

 ground never fully thaws out, simply thawing enough on the 

 top that the plants will live. The summers are hot, and the 

 severest cold comes in the winter with the ground bare. 



21. With a view to solve the question I secured while in 

 Russia in 1897, for the U. S. Department of Agriculture, trees 

 of various varieties of the Pyrus baccata. In the spring of 1898 

 the buds started before they could be sent out from Washing- 

 ton, and hence the trees were planted on the Department 

 Grounds. In 1901 the ground was needed in midsummer for the 

 construction of a new greenhouse. Buds were taken from them 

 and sent to me at Brookings. These were budded on young 



