THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 22 APRIL, 1894. NO. 3 



THE SAND CHERRY AS DWARF STOCK FOR THE 

 PLUM AND CHERRY. 



PROF. N. E. HANSEN, AMES, IOWA. 



A few notes on hardy stocks in general may serve as a fitting- intro- 

 duction to the above subject. The need of hardy stocks for the 

 plum and cherry in the Northwest is well known. Most of the stocks 

 used in the Eastern states are subject to winter-killing in the nurser}^ 

 The Myrobolan and St. Julian are short-lived and worthless stocks 

 for the plum in the Northwest; and the peach, in localities where 

 the peach root is hardy, is only recommended for the Chickasaw 

 varieties. The apricot has recently been tried as a plum stock, but 

 the experience at Ames the past season does not favor its use for 

 that purpose. The best stock is undoubtedly our native plum. The 

 pits should be saved from the best varieties, as there is some evi- 

 dence that they give better stocks than pits gathered indiscrimi- 

 nately in the woods. The objection urged is the sprouting tendency, 

 but this is not generally found to be objectionable when the trees 

 come into full bearing. 



The Mahaleb is much used as a stock for budding the cherry, but 

 it is not sufficiently hardy at the north and does not form a good 

 union with the colored-juiced varieties. Root-grafting on Mazzard, 

 using a long scion, is much better, as it facilitates rooting from the 

 scion, and the tender root is placed further beneath the surface 

 Cherry trees, either on Mazzard or Mahaleb, should be set on dry 

 ridge soil with porous subsoil from four to six inches deeper than 

 they stood in nursery. 



Propagation of the cherry and plum from root-cuttings is largelj^ 

 practiced in Europe, and in time will, probably, be generally adopted 

 here in the Northwest. It would solve the question of hardy stocks. 

 The sprouting habit would not be objectionable for many years to 

 come, as a vast number of trees will be necessary to supply the 

 prairie orchards. 



