PYRU8 BACCATA AS A STOCK FOR THE APPLE. l8l 



and Virginia are hybrid crabs of the Pyrtis prunifolia ; the Mar- 

 tha in its calyx segments indicates a larger percentage of the 

 P. baccata than of the P. malus. And as in other hybrids, either 

 plants or animals, partial or entire sterility must be expected in 

 some cases ; a mule is an infertile animal hybrid ; the Compass 

 cherry is a fertile plant hybrid. But the productiveness of the 

 pure species Pyrus baccata is certainly not doubted. 



In studying South Dakota conditions it should be remem- 

 bered that part of the state is considerably south of the Minne- 

 sota line. 



The Chairman : Mr. Norby made the statement that there 

 was as much root-killing in southern Iowa as there was in Dako- 

 ta or even more so. 



Prof. Hansen : Yes, wherever there was no snow on the 

 ground. It came in spots. Wherever the ground was bare the 

 first week in February, 1899, they went out, even as far south as 

 the middle of Missouri ; even the common apple went out far 

 eastward. 



Mr. Tiegland : Did that root-killing take place where the 

 ground was properly mulched? 



Prof. Hansen : Who would mulch fifteen acres of apple 

 trees? I know a Dakota nursery where considerable weeds grew 

 in one corner of a block of apple trees; the weedy part escaped, 

 those cultivated clean all root-killed. There were just enough 

 weeds to catch the snow, and it prevented root-killing. 



Mr. Tiegland: I had reference to bearing orchard trees. 



Prof. Hansen : I maintained in previous talks before this 

 society that as we must bridge over this intervening period we 

 must mulch. But the average farmer will not mulch his trees. 



Mr. S. D. Richardson : The average farmer mulches his trees 

 with grass and weeds. 



Prof. Hansen : In regard to the age of trees that die out on 

 this stock, I saw apple trees at Uralsk, in extreme eastern Euro- 

 pean Russia, on the edge of Siberia, said to be twenty years old, 

 on Pyrus baccata stock. The trees were not especially dwarfed. 

 They were irrigated, there being only a trifle over twelve inches 

 rainfall, and the mercury sometimes freezes in the winter. 



I believe the statement was made by some one that a large 

 part of Iowa and Minnesota did not need any hardy apple stocks 

 since we have our snowfall and can mulch, but it is going to take 

 an immense number of apple trees to supply the Canadian prairie 

 northwest, Minnesota, the Dakotas and eastern Montana, and 

 you should not supply the demand with anything that is not per- 

 fectly hardy. If you as nurserymen keep the trees near home 

 they may be all right, but how about the trees you are going ^o 

 sell in this vast region northwestward? So far as the hardi- 

 ness of Pyrus baccata in the northwest is concerned, it has been 

 tried at the Experiment Stations in Assinaboia and Manitoba, 

 and I know it is perfectly hardy there. I have never heard of any 

 winter-killing of this root. I have advocated this small fruited 

 crab for the reason that you will not be tempted to sell them, 



