28 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



avoided, but it is not easy to determine exactly the right time, and it 

 has to be fixed according to local conditions of length of growing 

 season and growth condition of the tree itself also. It is better for 

 some varieties than others, and, in fact, has to be done wisely. A 

 summer slashing of apple trees, simply because some one says so, is 

 not only expensive, but may do more harm than good. Therefore, 

 those inclined to it, should try a few trees at first and note results. 



Grafting Apple Seedlings in Place. 



/ want to plant apple trees for home use. I have an idea to plant 

 apple seeds instead of trees: planting three or four seeds for each hill, 

 right in the place zvhere I would grow the trees, and select the best one 

 to graft on. I imll take seed of Bellefleurs, which are vigorous growers. 

 What do you think? Will the seed germinate readily and when is the 

 right time to plant f 



Select plump, well ripened seed, keep them in damp sand until 

 the ground begins to get warm in January or February, according to 

 location. But such an undertaking will cost you vastly more in time, 

 in labor, and waste of land than it would to buy well-grown nursery 

 trees budded with the variety which you desire. Such trees would 

 give you practically a uniform lot of trees in your orchard while 

 planting seedlings and grafting afterward would give you very irregu- 

 lar and for the most part unsatisfactory results — providing you get 

 any seeds to grow at all in the open ground, which is doubtful. 



Resistant Apple Roots. 



A few apple trees which are almost dead from ravages of the woolly 

 aphis. I am going to dig them out and plant in their places other apple 

 trees on woolly aphis-proof root. Will it be necessary to use measures 

 to exterminate the woolly aphis in the old roots or their places in the 

 ground before planting neiv trees in the places of the removed trees? 



It is not necessary to undertake to kill aphis in the ground when 

 you are planting apple trees on resistant roots. It will give your 

 trees a better start to dig large holes, throw out the old soil, and 

 fill in with some new soil from another part of the land to be planted, 

 but it has been demonstrated that these roots are resistant, no matter 

 if planted in the midst of infestation. 



Apples and Cherries for a Hot Place. 



What kind of apple do you think would do best in a dry, hot climate? 

 What do you think of the Early Richmond cherry in such a place? 



Apples most likely to succeed in a dry situation are those which 

 ripen their fruit very early. The Red Astrachan is on the whole the 

 most satisfactory, but there are many places which are altogether 

 too dry and hot for any kind of apple. Whether cherries would suc- 

 ceed or not you can only tell by trying. Possibly the trees would 

 not live through the summer if your soil becomes very dry. The 



