HOW TO ESCAPE THE WOOLLY APHIS 201 



PROPAGATION OF THE APPLE 



The apple is chiefly propagated by root-grafting upon apple 

 seedling roots, either whole roots or root pieces. Budding is also 

 practised up to a certain extent. For dwarf trees the Paradise 

 stock is used. Repeated trials with working the apple on the pear, 

 chiefly by top grafting, have secured growth of limited life but 

 without fruiting. 



The resistance of certain roots to the woolly aphis has been fully 

 demonstrated by local experience in the use of the Northern Spy 

 and Winter Majetin, chiefly the former. Seedlings of Northern Spy 

 can not be relied upon as resistant to the woolly aphis. It is neces- 

 sary to get a root actually grown from the Northern Spy wood. The 

 best way to get a start is to buy some Northern Spy trees from 

 some reputable nurseryman, specifying that they shall be Northern 

 Spy root and top. With these resistant roots and wood growth for 

 scions or cuttings can be grown. Resistant trees are made by root 

 grafting the scion of the variety which it is desired to propagate 

 upon a piece of Northern Spy root and then being careful that the 

 scion does not send out roots of its own, but is wholly dependent 

 upon the Northern Spy root. It is customary with nurserymen 

 selling resistant trees to save the root pieces which are removed in 

 digging and packing, for subsequent propagation. It is also possible 

 to get a resistant tree by starting from the cutting of a Northern 

 Spy. To facilitate the rotting of these cuttings a small piece of any 

 kind of apple root is put in by side graft near the bottom of the cut- 

 ting. This acts as a starter, but the cuting will also make roots of 

 itself. At the end of the first year then the cuttings are taken up, the 

 piece of root used as a starter is cleanly cut away and the rooted cut- 

 ting replanted ; henceforth it is dependent upon its own roots and is 

 resistant. The variety desired is then grafted in a little way above 

 the ground surface so that there will be no danger of its making 

 its own roots. By either of these processes it is more troublesome 

 and takes more time to produce a tree with a resistant root than 

 in the ordinary way, and for that reason trees on resistant roots are 

 sold at higher price, and this may explain why resistant trees are 

 not yet largely used in this State. 



Other suggestions applicable to the growth of young apple trees 

 are given in Chapters VIII and IX. 



DISEASES AND PESTS OF THE APPLE 



The apple is subject to various diseases and insect enemies which 

 must be resolutely fought or they will render the trees unprofitable. 

 Chief of these diseases are the "pear blight" and the apple scab, and 

 the apple mildew. Of the insect enemies the codlin moth, the apple- 

 leaf aphis, the various leaf-cutting caterpillars and several scale 

 insects must be kept in check, and the latest approved means of 

 reducing these troubles will be described in detail in Chapters XLII 

 and XLIII. 



