PROPAGATION AND FRUIT- STOCKS 341 



304. Apple stocks. — A change or adaptation of the 

 nursery-stock situation is taking place, owing to the partial 

 exclusion of stock formerly imported from foreign countries. 

 However, the following are in use at present, 

 as indicated above. 



French crab {Pijrus Mains, Limi.) is most 

 commonly used for the apple, whether the 

 seedlings are grown in France and then im- 

 ported to the United States, or whether the 

 seed is imported and the stock grown in this 

 country. It is estimated that about 40 per 

 cent of the apple stock used in this country is 

 imported from France at the present time. 

 (See Fig. 37.) Howard ^ answers the question 

 as to what French stock is by quoting a French 

 nurseiyman, as follows: 



"The crab apple seed comes from Pijrus 

 Malus, Linn. {Mains communis, DC.) which 

 is simply a natural apple. This is a cider 

 apple. Although there are numerous grafted 

 varieties none but the cider apple is used from 

 which to procure seed. Occasionally small 

 quantities of seeds from grafted varieties may 

 become mixed with the crab seed but thisp^^ 37 -French 

 makes the latter less valuable as such seeds ^rab, imported 

 do not give satisfactory results for the pro- apple seedling. 

 duction of seedlings. 



''The apples from which we get our seed are used for 

 cider-making purposes. Seed collectors go to the mills and 

 to the fanns and wash the pomace that is left after the 

 juice has been pressed out and the seed thus secured are 

 dried in the open air. 



"Small quantities of apple seed come from Germany and 



1 Howard, W. L. Plant propagation. Pub. by Univ. of Mo. 1914. 



