TIIK Xt KSKRY IMHSTKY i.\ XKW YOK-K 



655 



to Xew York conditions. Grafts may be made with the whole 

 root of the seedling, or a piece root. The nursery stock arrives 

 here in December or January ; during the months of February or 

 M arch the nurserymen graft a twig of the current year's growth - 

 perhaps about six inches in length on a piece of root three or 

 four inches in length, tie it with a piece of .cotton and put it away 

 in damp sawdust until such time as they are ready to plant. If the 

 whole root is used, we have a collar graft, because the graft is 

 made about the collar of the seedling. The seedlings as dug are 

 divided into two classes straight roots and branched roots. 

 Straight roots are preferred for grafting because two grafts can 

 usually be secured from them, the branched roots being reserved 

 for budding. 



There is a tendency 

 to do more budding be- 

 cause the grafted tree 

 seems to offer more op- 

 portunity for the en- 

 trance of the bacteria 

 which cause crown gall, 

 trees showing it not be- 

 ing considered mer- 

 chantable. With some 

 varieties, such as Grav- 

 enstein, crown gall 

 seems to be present in 

 the trees to such an ex- 

 tent that in certain sea- 

 sons it seems to be al- 

 most impossible to 

 produce a tree free therefrom. The present system of discarding 

 such trees entails so serious a loss that, unless some means is 

 secured for eradicating some of these troubles, the growers of 

 these trees will be forced to secure much higher prices or go out of 

 business. 



The increase in value per acre given in the census of 1909 as 

 compared with that of 1899, does not measure the additional cost 

 which is now incurred, due to higher labor and higher require- 

 ments; and the prospect for the future is that even greater care 



FIG. 167. REAR VIEW OP THE FIRMER, USED 

 TO. PACK EARTH AROUND NEWLY PLANTED 

 GRAFTS OR SEEDLIM;S 



