94 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



APPLE TREES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS. 



JOHN NORDINE, LAKE CITY. 



For the past few years the cry of the intelligent buyer of hardy 

 roses has been, "Give us roses on their own roots," and today roses 

 on their own roots will command a much higher price than budded 

 roses. This cry for roses on their own roots leads us to the consid- 

 eration of apple trees on their own roots. I think, to secure this re- 

 sult, the best waj' is to make our grafts with a long scion on a short 

 root. By a long scion, I mean one that is six or seven inches long, 

 while the root should be about three inches long. This 

 makes a graft about nine inches long- when readj^ for setting, 

 and they should be planted deep enough to leave only about one- 

 half inch above the surface. By planting in this manner, j'ou get 

 the union of the graft deep enough below the surface of the ground 

 so that all circulation of air is prevented; besides, at that depth be- 

 low the surface, the moisture is more evenly distributed, and this 

 will cause the scion to throw out a system of fibrous roots above 

 the union. (See figure No. 2). This leaves the young tree established 

 almost wholly on its own roots. 



In this localit}^ where the winters are so severe as to necessitate 

 the planting of only the hardiest varieties, iron-clads, as they are 

 commonly called, it is necessary to have the roots equally as hardy 

 as the tops in order to prevent root-killing. The advantage of this 

 getting our hardy iron-clad fruit trees on their own roots is that 

 they are as hardy and calculated to resist as severe cold belovr the 

 surface as above the ground. That is, the roots have the same-re- 

 sisting power against cold as the tops, being, in fact, identical. 



Many nurserymen, particularly those of the East and South, do 

 not fully understand and appreciate the importance of this, but 

 graft or bud their apple trees on tender seedling stocks above the 

 surface or with very short scions and long roots. When such trees 

 are set in orchards with any part of the tender stocks above or near 

 the surface, as they often are, the trees almost invariably die from 

 root-killing. In this case the whole tree and even the entire orchard 

 dies, notwithstanding the iron-clad variety of the trunk and limbs. 

 That so many nurserymen in the milder sections refuse to recog- 

 nize this important principle may be the cause of so great mortality 

 in Eastern and Southern grown trees when transferred to our severe 

 climate. 



Again, the commercial apple seedling sold for root grafting is 

 usually grown from imported French crab apple seed. The variable 

 and unknown character of these roots with regard to hardiness and 

 vigor has been recognized for a long time by the more intelligent 

 nurserymen who are making an earnest effort to render the growing 

 of apple trees a success beyond the forty -fifth parallel. Owing to 

 the high price of labor in the United States, it is impossible to se- 

 cure selected apple seeds from matured samples of native apples, 

 hence we are compelled to resort to some other method of obtaining 

 hardy apple trees that will withstand the rigors of our climate. 



Individual effort may be successful in securing an orchard by 

 top-grafting, but some other plan must be found to supply the 



