54 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND THE FARMER ; 



fication it will be possible to raise trees of any desired degree 

 of vigour. In the case of seedling stocks future practice will 

 turn upon this point. If drastic or " selection " grading of the 

 stocks according to the nature of the root system is sufficient 

 for the production of trees of uniform standard, the more 

 expensive method of stock production from layers may not be 

 required for the stronger types. For the more dwarfing types 

 it will still be wanted, because the percentage of seedhng stocks 

 of this nature is too small to meet requirements. If, on the 

 other hand, " selected " seedling stocks of the stronger types 

 prove too variable in respect of the trees produced, vegetative 

 propagation of suitable individuals will be needed to ensure 

 uniformity, in so far as it is possible for the root system to 

 accompUsh it. There wiU be no difficulty over the propagation 

 of free or crab stocks by the layering method, for it has 

 already been proved that many of them can be multiplied in 

 that way, and in that sense they rank with the Paradise 

 forms. 



From the foregoing it is obvious that the old classification 

 of apple stocks into Paradise, free and crab is meaning- 

 less and misleading as an indication of vigour and root character, 

 and that, so far as methods of propagation are concerned, 

 " frees " and " crabs " can be multiplied vegetatively in precisely 

 the same manner as " Paradise." Confusion would in future 

 be avoided if the terms " free " and " Paradise " were dropped, 

 and the stocks designated according to grades of strength and 

 method of production, " layered " or " seedling," as the case 

 might be. There is something to be said for the retention of 

 the term " crab," as indicating an origin, ultimate or direct, 

 from " crab " apples; but even in that case the distinction is of 

 doubtful value, since existing " crab " apples are wildings of hybrid 

 character, and several of the cider varieties from the seed of 

 which free stocks are raised are substantially of the same 

 order. 



The above record of research into root -stocks has been confined 

 to apples. Similar work is also being done at East MaUing in 

 the case of stocks for other kinds of fruit, although the investiga- 

 tions have not proceeded far enough to enable such definite 

 conclusions to be drawn. So far the larger share of attention, 

 next to apples, has been devoted to stone fruit, and it has been 

 shown that in the case of plums some eight or nine types of 

 stock, comprising at least three species of plum, are being used 

 almost indiscriminately to-day for bush or standard fruits. There 

 are, for instance, at least four distinct types of " mussel " plimi 

 stock, varying considerably in vigour and differing in ease of 



