TOPWOIiKING THE APPLE. 153 



If I was young I would practice budding altogether. If I were 

 a young man, from fifteen to twenty years old I would start an 

 orchard on those lines. 



Mr. Theilmann : When I was a young boy in the old country, 

 I also learned topgrafting. The question comes up here about 

 this topgrafting and healing up sound and solid. That seems 

 to be the question before the house now. I grafted trees in the 

 old country, where I put in 150 scions on one tree, and I have 

 grafted hundreds of trees where I put in from 25 to 150 limbs. 

 All the people that come over tell me that those trees are all 

 sound and bearing very heavy every year. So they must be 

 sound, or else they would not bear. I split limbs and put in 

 my grafts. As far as my knowledge is concerned, that would 

 settle the question, but whether the climate here would be so 

 well adapted to the trees as the climate where I came from, I 

 do not know. 



Mr. Wedge: I would like to ask Prof. Hansen if he saw the 

 V^irginia crab in Russia? 



Prof. Hansen: I saw a good many there, but I am unable to 

 say if it was the same. I did not examine closely enough for 

 that. 



Mr. Pearce: I do not wish to take up any time. The roots 

 are the foundation of all fruit trees. Every fruit tree has got 

 to have three classes of roots. In the first place, there are the 

 feeders, then the secondary roots, and third the tap roots. If 

 the ground is suitable they go down deep. And there is but 

 one cut of the root that is fit to graft. That is the first cut. 

 That contains all the elements that go to make a perfect tree. 

 Anything below that will be abnormal, and the roots will be 

 mixed together and all inferior. Here is a double-worked tree 

 (showing a specimen). I have been in the business eight years, 

 and I know a little something about it. That tree will stand 

 drouth. Last season it was very dry, and they made a wonder- 

 ful growth. 



Mr. Kimball: In setting out top worked stock, do you set 

 them out as whip stocks, or wait until they throw out two or 

 three limbs? 



Mr. Philips: I wait until they throw out limbs. 



Mr. Kimball: The whip stocks do not give as good results? 



Mr. Philips: Not in my experience. 



Mr. Kimball: Did you ever find any trouble with rust in the 

 Virginia? 



Mr. Philips: I never have. 



