PROPAGATION. 139 



take the "Iron Clad" list from some of the northern 

 horticultural societies, say Duchess of Oldenburg, 

 Wealthy, Iowa Blush, and perhaps some of the 

 Russians. Of course our success will depend upon 

 the hardiness of our stocks, for where Whitney No. 

 20, and the Siberian Crabs, and Duchess cannot be 

 grown we should not make the effort. 



The philosophy of this is, that as all trees are 

 more tender when young than when matured and 

 established, we pass over this period of youth 

 practically by giving our tree age from the start. 

 There is another very important consideration. 

 All the very hardy or Iron Clad varieties have very 

 strong and deep growing roots. The top or cion 

 from which the tree is to be made entirely controls 

 the form of the seedling roots. Not only the form 

 but in a few years not at first it also determines 

 their hardiness. As to form or habit of growth, if 

 we graft in any manner, any number of 

 Winesaps, Jonathans or Willowtwigs upon yearling 

 apple stocks, we can in two years in most soils pull 

 them up by hand, while the same number of Sibe- 

 rian Crabs or Tetofskis will at the same age be 

 found to have made a root system that would defy 

 the united efforts of several men to dislodge them. 

 The question suggests itself here, does the hardy 

 tree make this strong hardy system of roots, or do 

 the roots, having penetrated deeply into the earth 

 where there can never be any lack of moisture, 

 give the tree its ability to withstand all the strain 

 that is ever put upon it ? Undoubtedly they work 



