50 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETT. 



tree. Grafting out on the limbs will secure early fruitfulness. Seed- 

 ling apple trees shouM be allowed to grow until the limbs are large 

 enough to cleft-graft about two feet from the body. Of course, 

 attention should have been paid to shaping the tops a year or two 

 in advance. Now, good, healthy trees will stand grafting the 

 whole of the top at one time, that is, if the limbs are cut one and 

 one-half to two feet from the trunk. The greater part of the 

 suckers should be allowed to grow, as this will give a better ripened 

 scion and spare the tree a too severe shock. 



In regard to bearing fruit, the question is often asked : Is there 

 not a loss of time in setting the seedling and top-grafting? I 

 answer that from my observation and experience with both, the 

 top-grafted Seedling comes in ahead. 



In conclusion, I would say that the benefits to be derived from 

 top-grafting the Baldwin ara : With seedlings we can start an 

 orchard at a great deal less expense and we shall have far more 

 and better trees at eight or ten years of age, which is, perhaps, 

 about the best age to top-graft ; the limbs are less liable to split 

 down, and the trunk less defective ; the roots .are better developed ; 

 thus securing trees possessing more of the elements of durability 

 and productiveness than are to be found in the root-grafted 

 Baldwin. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Taylor : Whether it is not the custom to plant seed- 

 lings as they come in the nursery row, or to select seedlings that 

 have been tested for hardiness? Whether it is the custom to 

 select seed from the trees to start seedlings from? 



I think it is a matter of considerable importance in this connec- 

 tion, whether you are breeding hardy stock, or simply taking seed 

 from standard varieties, some of which may produce hardy seed- 

 lings and some 'may not, as they vary in character of hardiness as 

 well as in character of fruit. 



I would like to know to what extent Maine orchards are on seed- 

 ling trunks. 



Mr. BoWxMAN : I would say here, that the practice in growing 

 nursery trees is to grow one year's seedlings and take these trees up 

 in the fall or in the spring and put thera in nursery rows. Those 

 not good, inferior in growth or diseased, we remove as fast as we 

 notice a tree that is defective. In this way we get the best trees 

 to put upon the market. 



