APPLE. 173 



Apple, concluded. 



root- grafting. ' ' Second-class, " those from -fa to T 3 S inch at 

 the crown, and "third-class," or all those under T 2 6 . The 

 last two classes must be grown in the field for one or two 

 seasons before they can be worked to advantage. 



Dwarf stocks are mostly obtained from mound-layering. 

 The common stock for dwarfing is the Paradise apple, a 

 dwarf variety of the common apple species (Pyrus Mains). 

 This variety rarely attains a height of more than 4 feet. 

 A larger or freer stock is the Doucin, also a variety of 

 Pyrus Mains, which will produce an engrafted tree inter- 

 mediate in size between that given by the Paradise and 

 free or common stocks. This is little used in this country. 

 To obtain stools for mound-layering, the tree, when well 

 established, is cut off within 4 or 6 inches of the ground in 

 spring, and during the summer several shoots or sprouts 

 will arise. The next year the stool is covered by a 

 mound, and by autumn the layers are ready to take off. 

 Sometimes, when stocks are rare, mound-layering is per- 

 formed during the first summer, before the young shoots 

 have hardened, but good stocks are not obtained by this 

 method. Common green layering is sometimes practiced 

 the first year, but it is not in favor. The dwarf stocks, in 

 common with all apple stocks, may be sparingly propa- 

 gated by root-cuttings and by hard-wood cuttings. 



Apple stocks are either grafted or budded. Root-graft- 

 ing is the most common, especially at the west, where long 

 cions are used in order to secure own-rooted trees. (See 

 Figs. 103, 104.) Budding is gaining in favor eastward 

 and southward ; it is performed during August and early 

 September in the northern states, or it may be begun on 

 strong stocks in July by using buds which have been kept 

 on ice. Stocks should be strong enough to be budded the 

 same year they are transplanted, but the operation is 

 sometimes deferred until the second summer. Stocks 

 which cannot be worked until the second year are un- 

 profitable, especially on valuable land. For root-grafting, 

 strong one-year-old roots are best, but two-year-olds are 

 often used. (See pages 148 to 156.) 



In common practice, the root is cut into two or three 

 pieces of 2 to 3 inches each, but stronger trees are ob- 

 tained, at least the first year or two, by using the whole 

 root and grafting upon the crown. The lowest piece is 

 usually small and weak, and is generally discarded. 



The apple is easily top-grafted and top-budded. (See 

 Chapter V. For grades of trees, see page 142. ) 



