174 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



seedlings of many of our varieties are not as hardy as the or- 

 iginal tree. 



Mr. C. G. Patten (Iowa) : I believe that is true even of the 

 Pvrus baccata or any seedlings you may mention ; they are not 

 all as hardy as the original tree. 



Prof. Hansen : I have never known of a Pyrus baccata seed- 

 ling winter-killing. I believe in this law of De Candolle. The 

 true Pyrus baccata will never suffer from root-killing in our 

 severest winters. 



Mr. C. E. Morrell : Suppose the Wealthy is grafted on the 

 Pyrus baccata, what is the effect on the tree and fruit when it 

 comes to maturity? Has it not a tendency to dwarf it in size? 



Prof. Hansen : Not the fruit. The effect of a dwarfing stock 

 is to increase the size of the fruit. In Europe prize apples are 

 grown on potted trees on Paradise stock, the sap being kept back 

 in the top having a tendency to increase the size of the fruit. 



Mr. Tuve : Does it do away with the necessity of top-graft- 

 ing? 



Prof. Hansen : You can top-graft afterwards. I had under 

 way an elaborate series of top-grafting experiments on Virginia 

 crab and Hibernal apple, but they were interfered with because 

 the seedling root winter-killed. The Virginia crabs survived 

 having rooted from the scion ; the Hibernal scion roots winter- 

 killed. 



Mr. Tuve : Would it not do just as well to bud the Wealthy, 

 for instance, on the stem or main branches of the Pyrus baccata 

 instead of on the Hibernal? 



Prof. Hansen : I would not advise that, because the union 

 would not be good as the trees attain age. At least that is the 

 general experience with top-grafting on Siberian crabs. The 

 apple top tends to overgrow the crab stem. 



The Chairman : I wish, Prof. Hansen, you would answer 

 the question as to whether it would affect the size of the tree. 



Prof. Hansen : Yes, the tree would be slightly dwarfed. It 

 makes, say, a three-quarter sized tree ; it does not dwarf them 

 in the nursery, but it has a drawfing tendency with age. 



Mr. Brackett: You spoke of raising them from seed. 



Prof. Hansen : I have had them start in bearing when they 

 were six feet in height. 



Mr. Brackett: How many years old? 



Prof. Hansen : They were small one year imported seedlings 

 in 1898 and they were bearing last year in spite of twice trans- 

 planting. 



Mr. Higbie : I would like to know whether it is necessary to 

 stake those young shoots. Is it necessary to tie them? 



Prof. Hansen : Yes, in a windy country it is necessary to 

 stake all young shoots from grafts or buds. 



Mr. Higbie: That would be a considerable item of expense. 



Prof. Hansen : Yes, the same as plums. As I said before, it 

 would not be much cheaper than plums. It may possibly be a 

 trifie cheaper. I think the general experience east is that apples 



