342 POMOLOGY 



even Russia and Austria, but France is known to be the one 

 great exporter of tiiis seed. Apple seedlings are sold by 

 dealers in Holland and the industry seems to have grown 

 there during the last few years although the Dutch seedlings 

 are much inferior to the French. 



"The grower generally receives his apple seed in January, 

 places it in a veiy sheltered spot — often in a stable — thor- 

 oughly mixed with damp river sand. The sand is kept 

 moist and occasionallj'' the mixture of sand and seeds is 

 stirred. When the seeds begin to swell — which will be in 

 about four weeks — ^they are either placed in cold beds for 

 transplanting or sown directly in the field. In three or four 

 weeks they begin to come up. By soaking in lukewarm 

 water before planting the seeds may be caused to germinate 

 quicker, but I consider it to be better to follow the more 

 natural plan and not force the seeds. 



"We never use ice. A few growers soak the seed for a 

 period of two days at the most, but this practice is far from 

 being common and is resorted to only when the season is 

 advanced and it seems necessary to hurry the germination." 



Vermont crab stock is raised from seed collected at the 

 cider mills of New England. In the past it was obtained 

 largely from the pomace of seedling apples which abounded 

 in the rough pastures, around stone walls, and even in the 

 woods. There was also mixed with the "wild" apples, fruit 

 of grafted varieties, often of poor grade. However, the fact 

 that the seedling apples and uncared-for orchards of New 

 England are rapidly passing out makes this stock of no great 

 consequence in the trade. 



Virginia and Minnesota crabs are grown from seed col- 

 lected at the cider mills in these states and in the past were 

 used to a considerable extent, but at present the French 

 crab stock has largely replaced them. 



For dwarfing, the Paradise and Doucin stocks have long 



