— 
MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 109 
I refer you to the article prepared at the request of the Society two years 
gince. There are some varieties not included in the list, to which I invite 
the attention of the Society as worthy of cultivation: Whitney’s No. 20, 
a September fruit of large size and fine quality. Blushing Maid, hardy; 
fruit large and handsome; season, autumn. Orion, an early and free 
bearer, fruit quite large, handsome and of fine quality; season, October to 
January. Honest John, a strong growing tree and profuse bearer, large 
size, quality good; season, October to February. 
There are several seedlings originated by Peter M. Gideon, quite remarka- 
ble for beauty, and some of them pleasant for eating. They are all fall 
varieties. I have on my own ground eight or. ten seedlings of promise, 
but cannot speak with assurance of their value until they have had further 
trial. The extent to which the common apple can be planted with safety 
can be considerably enlarged by top-working the more hardy kinds on the 
Siberians. This process of making orchard trees is somewhat expensive, 
but it enables us to grow valuable varieties that otherwise we would be 
compelled to discard. I have tried the Red Siberian, Transcendent and 
Hyslop for this purpose, and the result with most varieties has been quite 
satisfactory. In a few instances the union of the scion with the crab stock 
was imperfect, and occasionally an instance has occurred of the Hyslop 
aud Siberian body being killed by blight. I would recommend the Early 
Strawberry and Quaker Beauty as being quite as well adapted to top- 
working as any of the crabs. 
Sufficient attention has not been given to the roots of orchard trees. 
The fall of snow in our State is less than in the States farther East. Not 
unfrequently for several weeks the ground is entirely bare, the cold in- 
tense and protracted. Unless the orchards are heavily mulched in the 
fall, the roots of the trees are apt.to be killed. As usually, mulching is 
attended with considerable expense, and from the pressure of work, liable 
to be neglected, it is desirable that our trees should have roots of such 
a hardy natnre as to make mulching quite unnecessarv. The most certain 
method of securing this result is to root the tree from the scion. With 
this object in view, in grafting, a long scion and a short root should be 
used. When the tree is transplanted to the orchard, it should be set eight 
to twelve inches deeper than it stood in the nursery, according to the na- 
ture of the soil. Before planting, two upward incisions should be made 
near the roots of the tree, cutting through the bark and slightly into the 
wood, forming a tongue one-half of an inch to an inchinlength. At the 
point where thé incision is made new roots will be formed of the same 
character as the top of the tree. Thus we shall have in every instance 
each variety on its own roots. If the top is iron-clad the root will be 
equally so. In other words, our trees wi!l be iron-clad at both ends, and 
mulching can be dispensed with without risk of injury to the roots of 
our trees, however severe the winter may be. 
Summing up in a few words the practical lessons included in what I 
have said: 
The Tetofsky, Duchess and Wealthy should be planted in most situa- 
tions, and if top-worked on the crab, may be planted successfully every- 
where. Several other varieties less hardy, valuable for their productive- 
ness and quality of fruit, if top-worked may be planted quite extensively. 
