1 8 THE NURSERY. 



winter, and we shall find that nearly all will be 

 dead. There may be a few alive, but it will be 

 strange if there is one that would be fit to use as a 

 stock to graft upon. If there should be any showing 

 no discoloration or "black heart" there could be 

 no objection to using it to top graft, but, in order 

 to carry out the idea perfectly, we must not remove 

 it from where it stood, otherwise we shall lose 

 the bottom of the tap root. This being severed 

 we have exactly the conditions as in a root grafted 

 tree so far as the roots are concerned. T. T. Lyon, 

 of the U. S. Pomological Division, which is a part 

 of the Department of Agriculture, and who has 

 devoted a long life entirely to horticulture, not 

 only in its scientific aspects, but as a practical 

 propagator, says: "My observation would be that 

 every tree has its own peculiar way of making root 

 growth, and that it would not change it in the least 

 whether it was grafted on a whole or piece root. I 

 am in favor of that system which the soonest gets 

 the tree upon its own roots. However there are 

 with us a few exceptions, which you may not 

 notice out here. I refer to the Canada Red in par- 

 ticular. There seems no way to induce a good 

 growth on it except by top working. To grow it 

 from either whole or piece roots would be impossi- 

 ble with us, as it is such a slow grower. I can 

 hardly see that there would be any advantage in 

 using whole roots, so far as root system is con- 

 cerned. Bach variety of the apple has its own 

 peculiar way of rooting, and the cion most surely 



