THE APPLE 223 



fungicides; the persistent aim should be to pro- 

 duce trees that are thoroughly resistant to fun- 

 goid diseases. 



The seedlings that show large, thick leaves and 

 thick, fat, prominent buds placed not too far 

 apart, combined with stocky, short-pointed, 

 juicy wood, are the ones most likely to be valu- 

 able. 



Let us emphasize again that in fruiting the 

 seedlings an enormous amount of time and valu- 

 able space can be saved if they are grafted upon 

 large bearing trees. I am accustomed to take one 

 or two good cions from each of the selected seed- 

 lings at the end of the first season's growth, 

 grafting them into a bearing tree on branches a 

 quarter inch or at most a half inch in diameter. 

 Thus placed, they will begin bearing in from two 

 to four years; whereas if placed upon the large 

 branches a much longer period would be required. 



By this method I have tested as many as 526 

 varieties by actual count at the same time upon a 

 single tree. 



Thus twenty thousand or more varieties may 

 be tested at once on a single acre. The same 

 trees may serve in this way over and over in- 

 definitely. 



It would be well if fruit growers in each geo- 

 graphical section would raise and test new seed- 



