10 SEED FOR PROPAGATION 



In the case of all the stone fruits, more or less dif- 

 ficulty is experienced in removing the fleshy covering in 

 order to get ths seed into suitable condition for handling 

 or storage. With the Mahaleb and some types of the 

 Myrobalan, the pulp is dried down on the pit and the seed 

 is used in that condition. In most cases, however, the pulp 

 must be removed. This may be done in either of two 

 ways. One is to remove the flesh by hand, and then dry 

 the pits in the sun. The other is to pile the fruit up in 

 large piles and let them decay. After the pulp is fairly 

 well rotted they are shovelled into a vat and soaked up with 

 water. The souring or fermenting of the mass causes the 

 pulp to become separated from the pits. They can then 

 be separated by washing them over a wire screen. They 

 are then dried in the sun, sacked up and stored in a cool 

 moist place until needed. 



For stock on which to work apples, nurserymen are 

 pretty generally agreed on the use of the so-called French 

 Crabapple. Strictly speaking these are not crabapples 

 but simply the fruit of a wild apple of France. Many of 

 the low foothills and poor land areas of France are cov- 

 ered with apples that have run wild, resembling somewhat 

 in appearance the crabapple and somewhat our common 

 apple. The French collect the fruit from these trees and, 

 after extracting the juice for cider or vinegar, remove the 

 seed from the pomace thus the American " French 

 Crab." 



The stock grown from these French seeds are quite 

 generally uniform in their habits of growth and make 

 strong vigorous seedlings. They are sometimes imported 



