At the present time we have no explanation for this pecuhar coloring. 

 The apples are normal in every other way but are not very attractive. Scions 

 of these trees bearing the abnormal colored apples have been budded into 

 Mailing 9 understocks to determine whether the characteristic blotchy color 

 will be transmitted with the scion. 



W. W. Smith 



Malus Sikkimensis as an Understock 

 for Semi-Dw^arfed Apple Trees 



Malus sikkimensis is apomitic (producing a uniform progeny) and 

 thus has possibilities as a semi-dwarfecl understock for our apple varieties. 

 Some 40 grafted trees, including varieties such as Mcintosh, Macoun, 

 Northern Spy, Cortland, and Golden Delicious, are in their fifth season in 

 the rootstock plots at Gilford. A few of the trees bore apples this year. 

 At the present time, they appear to have a thicker trunk and wider 

 spreading branches than the same varieties on seedling understocks. Since 

 trees of Malus sikkimensis take 12 to 14 years to produce fruit, sikkimensis 

 has been budded onto Mailing 9 understocks in an attempt to obtain sikki- 

 mensis fruits, thereby obtaining sikkimensis seed for future studies of this 

 promising understock. 



W. W. Smith 



A New Wick Watering Method for Potted Plants 



A unique adaptation of the wick watering system of Post and Seeley 

 was devised here as a means of supplying adequate water to pots of soil 

 growing new hybrid callas. 



In 8-inch pans callas use more water in a day than can be supplied by 

 surface watering twice a day in sunny weather. Painted aluminum eaves 

 troughs, plunged in sand to their rims lengthwise of the bench, form the 

 reservoirs. A constant supply of water is maintained by a poultry float valve 

 in each trough. Large pots rest directly on the trough rims and are watered 

 by the capillary action of a glass fiber wick suspended in the water from the 

 drainage hole in each pot. Small pots with similar wicks are supported on 

 a ^-inch mesh wire screen laid over the whole bench of troughs. Callas in 

 sand over troughs filled with 20-20-20 nutrient solution at a concentration 

 of 1 teaspoon per gallon of water grew and flowered as well as those in soil 

 over water alone. African violets and Mcii::ics Tohncia did well also. 



Although this system of wick watering is not recommended for com- 

 mercial production of greenhouse pot plants without modification, it is sug- 

 gested for use by retail florists, and by housewives who do not find time to 

 apply water correctly to mature, pot-bound flowering plants received from 

 the florist. 



E. B. RiSLEY 



Introducing Monarda "Granite Pink" 



At the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station a new peren- 

 nial for northern flower gardens requiring only a minimum of maintenance 

 and suited to most all types of gardens has been named "Granite Pink". 

 Growing three feet tall and as wide across, this new member of the mint 

 family is a seedling from a much taller variety, "Croftway Pink", which was 

 introduced into the United States from Europe during World War II. Al- 



35 



