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424 § MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: 
the full solution of the question. In the meantime, we realize that oat 
we livein a fast age, and we must have more and better fruit. It is 
very probable, if not absolutely certain, that we can realize very 
satisfactory resultsin growing winter apples and many others of 
the best American sorts, by the process of top-working them upon 
the stems and tops of perfectly hardy congenial stocks of Russians 
and crabs or their hybrids that have been originally grown as 
root-grafts, care being taken to select only such as are not predis™ 
posed to blight; but to be doubly sure we should also have hardy 
roots. The hardy roots may be secured by growing them from 
select seed of the hardiest and most vigorous Russians and some 
varieties of Siberian hybrids that are inclined to throw out strong 
roots of their own, no matter what root they are grafted upon. With 
such trees we shall have hardy roots and thus obviate root-killing 
and hardy trunks, thus avoiding sunscald, bark-burst and black 
heart in the body, and by means of the modifying influence of the 
early maturing of the roots and body upon thetop, we shall get 
earlier and more perfect ripening of the top wood and a proportion- 
ally greater power of resistance to the extremes of our climate. 
Varieties can be grown with comparative safety when worked on 
the tops of such trees that cannot with any certainty be grown by 
any system of root-grafting, either whole or piece root, or by bud- 
ding or grafting upon common seedlings. Itis unfortunate that 
thorough and systematic experiments have not heretofore been 
madealong this line and the matter established as a science. It is my 
opinion that the first and most important work that should be done 
in our experiment stations is along this line, so that every man who 
desired to grow any certain variety of our best apples could know 
just upon what stock and root it should be grafted to insure the 
best success. 
As far as I have observed, the Duchess, Tetofsky, Hibernal, 
Antonovka, Virginia, Shields, Orange, Early Strawberry and Trans- 
cendent crabs, and others, are good stocks fora great number of 
varieties, but it is not likely that any one of them is adapted to all 
varieties. As far as I have observed the Hibernal apple and the 
Virginia crab proves congenial to more varieties than most of the 
others nanied. Among the varieties that I consider safer and better 
top-worked than as root-grafts are Wealthy, Utter, McMahon, 
White, Soiree, Fameuse, Malinda, Scott’s Winter, Ben Davis, Patten’s 
Greening, Seek-no-further, Grimes’ Golden, Longfield, Jonathan, and 
Tallman’s Sweet. Some of these varieties named and many others 
are rarely injured in the tops, but are weak in root, trunk or the 
axils of the branches, and by being thus worked become sound 
and fruitful trees. 
In many instances the character of the fruit is slightly changed‘ 
being larger and fairer, and probably the season may be changed 
slightly. These changes will be most perceptible where the stock 
is not entirely congenial. In a few instances I have seen the flavor 
influenced by the stock upon which the variety is worked, but they 
are rare and generally where the stock is an acrid crab. Top-work- 
ing seems to be the most feasible method for growing apples until 
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