N'OTHS ON EUROPEAN HOllTICULTUHH. 501 



Buchling on Siljcriuti Stocks. — Root-jj^raftinp the apple in not 

 practiced in Russia, or indeed in any part of Kiirope that I visited. 

 Budding is the iinivernal method. In the extreme sections of Ruh- 

 sia, where the Heedlin<j;^8 of the commercial apples fail by root-kill- 

 ing, the Siberian crab is used as a stock. The seedlings are budded 

 at the crown. Prof. Schroeder told me that the trees were somewhat 

 dwarfed, but bore two years earlier. 



This is a fact well worth noting. Here in tlie northwest, where 

 trouble is often experienced in the nursery from root-killing, bud- 

 ding' on ordinary apple seedlings is entirely out of the question, al- 

 though we know from eastern experience that budding gives 

 smoother trees than root-grafting. I intend to experiment in this 

 line, as I was much pleased with the trees at Moscow that Professor 

 Schroeder showed me as having been worked in this manner. We 

 all know that top-grafting on Siberian crabs has not proved suc- 

 cessful in most cases, but budding at the crown on youngseedlings 

 may give better results. 



Vladimir Cherries. — At Moscow I found the markets flooded with 

 Vladimir cherries, coming mostly from the province of Vladimir, 

 one hundred and fifty miles east of the city, where there are im- 

 mense cherry orchards. On the famous Sparrowhill heights, south 

 of Moscow, where Napoleon stood September 1-1, 1812, when he first 

 beheld the city, I visited extensive cherry orchards, mostlj- of a var- 

 iety of the Vladimir tj'pe, or race. The Vladimir is a fine, black, 

 glossy cherry, fully as large as Early Richmond, with very small 

 pit and colored juice, and of excellent quality. As tested in Iowa 

 and the northwest, it does not do well on Mazzard or Mahaleb stocks, 

 but I learn that the Mennonites in Minnesota find a form of this race 

 succeeds on its own roots. In Russia it is never budded, but is pro- 

 pagated by seeds or sprouts. Professor Schroeder told me it comes 

 very nearly true to seed. The trees are naturally short lived, ten to 

 twelve years, and dwarf in habit, ten to fifteen feet, and are grown in 

 bush form with several stems, and as the older ones die down thej' 

 are cut out and the others take their places. This cherry will stand 

 forty degrees or more below zero. In some parts of Russia it is 

 used to some extent as a stock for other cherries. It would be well 

 to experiment with growing cherries on their own roots here in the 

 northwest. We have wasted enough money by using the tender 

 Mahaleb and Mazzard as stocks for the cherry. A quantity of pits 

 of this Russian Vladimir cherry will be imported the coming sea- 

 son, and we trust will arrive in good condition. It ia time both the 

 Mazzard and Mahaleb were discarded as cherry stocks for the 

 northwest, and nature's method tested for a time. 



Varying Ilardiaoss.—One of the main lessons to be learned at 

 the great arboretum of the Royal Agricultural College at Moscow' 

 is the varying hardiness of a species extending over wide areas 

 Professor Schroeder accomi)anied me in several walks through the 

 arboretum, and emph;»sized this lesson by many illustrations. For 

 example, the Russian form of the Scotch pine {Pinus sylrcstris 

 Rifronsis) is far superior in all respects to the west European form. 

 The same dilfereuce obtaitiH in Ihe rase of the Rusnian varietv of the 



