89 



It is very necessary to keep the buds removed from below the 

 graft. The four grafts shown in this view started, all of them, 

 but the buds below took all the strength from them. The bark 

 has been removed from the three on this side ; from the other it 

 has not. The sap, of course, flows along the line of least re- 

 sistance and takes all the strength and the graft dies. 



The next is a photograph to show the Paragon grafted on oak. 

 The tree is still living. The oak now is smaller in diameter than 

 the chestnut, the chestnut growing faster. This was not very 

 successful; still, it is succecssful to the extent that it lives and 

 bears nuts. 



A defective union. At that point (indicating) enemies can 

 enler, fungi and beetles. The wind also will frequently break 

 oil' a tree at the point of union, if the union is not perfect. A 

 sprout was allowed to mature on this and later was grafted. 

 The growth is very rapid, and the chestnut not being a strong 

 Avood, many were lost in this way where the union was defective. 



This is a portion of the fifty acres as it appeared six years ago. 



Here Ave have a view of it a little later. All the roots of the 

 other trees begin to sprout and it is necessary to clean out every- 

 thing. If the underbrush is alloAved to grow, it Avill, sooner or 

 later, choke aut the trees and Avill alloAV enemies to develop; you 

 cannot keep it too clean. Fires will run through it; so Mr. 

 Sober early found that it Avas necessary to keep the groAvth 

 clean. Many parts of it are now clean enough to moAV Avith a 

 laAvn moAver. In many places the grass is beginning to grow. 

 I wish you Avould notice IIOAV clean the grove is in places. This 

 is the condition soon after the grafting. Then it was necessary 

 to employ from twenty-five to fifty men to clean out and, in 

 order to save the young grafted trees, screens Avere made. At 

 one time I saAV as many as twenty-five of these screens. They 

 Avere covered Avith asbestos to protect them from the fire, and 

 the young sprouts that have been grafted are back of the screens. 

 These men are grubbing out and cleaning, trying to get the 

 ground clean enough to raise grass. 



This view shows one of the screens a little nearer and some 

 of (ho men, who rested a moment while I took the photograph. 



