44 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I believe that we must recognize, in. the planting of trees, 

 the same principles that we recognize in the improvement and 

 development of live stock. I believe that we should recognize 

 in fruit trees the same principles of the law of heredity that 

 we recognize in animal life, and that, if we work upon those 

 principles, it is possible for us to improve our trees and our 

 fruits. 



The principles of the propagation of trees have been clearly 

 understood, but I think our practices have not been correct. 

 For instance, in the propagation of trees in nurseries, the seed- 

 ling Atock is usually budded or propagated from the young and 

 growing stock in the nursery rows. The result of this system 

 of propagation is this : We are going to perpetuate in all our 

 trees so propagated the tendency to, protracted periods of growth 

 and wood-making. For a number of years I have been experi- 

 menting along the line of propagation of varieties, and the 

 growing of trees by the selection of buds and scions from trees 

 that are mature and of unusual merit. The same principle, pre- 

 cisely, that the breeder of live stock follows. Now, in the buds 

 and scions for the propagation of certain qualities which we want 

 in trees, there is as much individuality as there is in live stock. 

 Precisely the same differences in points of quality will be found 

 in trees as will be found in animals. And so, in the selection of 

 the buds which are to be transferred to trees that are to consti- 

 tute the future orchard, instead of going to the nursery row, 

 where dififerences in quality cannot be realized, go to the bearing 

 trees in the orchard and there choose the propagating stock. 



I started about seven years ago, on this principle with 

 Tompkins King, choosing for stock the Northern Spy tree. 

 The Northern Spy was chosen for the reason that it is a 

 strong and vigorous tree constitutionally. It has great vigor. 

 It has power to resist disease, more so than many kinds of trees. 

 Also power to resist the attacks of insects. In selecting buds 

 to work upon this stock, I sent to Tompkins county, in New 

 York State, where the King apple is known to arrive at the 

 very best condition. I gave directions to select buds from a 

 typical tree ; a tree that had a certain characteristic in growth ; 

 that, from the nature of its growth would require but little 

 pruning. The fruit must also be typical in character and uni- 



