1 82 Notes and Gleanings, 



from which a good shoot can be produced. " But," says one, " will they not grow 

 so vigorously this second season as to be liable to the same disaster under a like 

 attack of frost ? " No : not if the cultivator does his duty by them. When they 

 liave reached a height of two feet at midsummer, they should all be topped by 

 pinching out the leader : this will encourage the production of numerous laterals, 

 and will make nice bushy plants. The growth thus divided will not be so rank 

 as if let alone ; and the experience of the first year will have taught the cultivator 

 a lesson as to the treatment of the nursery, which will not be ploughed so late 

 in the summer ; and the growth will be perfected at an earlier period : then they 

 will be able to withstand the cold. 



Still there is a great difference as to the hardiness of different varieties, as 

 well as in their vigor of growth ; and in practice it is found much better to graft 

 or bud some sorts, even at standard height, upon stocks that have proved them- 

 selves pretty hardy by withstanding two or three winters. This is particularly 

 desirable with some kinds that grow feebly while young ; and for such the prac- 

 tice of double-working has been found a very successful plan for getting up a 

 stock. Some thrifty and hardy variety is root-grat"ted, and grown one or two 

 years, according to the size produced ; and these stocks are budded with the weak- 

 growing sorts and with those that have proved tender in the way of bark-burst- 

 ing. The happiest results have followed. 



In answer to the question of a Kansas correspondent, as to whether sections 

 of lateral roots should ever be used, or whether the grafter should use the tap- 

 roots exclusively, it may be remarked, that any piece of root which will start and 

 sustain the scion will answer ; and that experiments with first, second, and third 

 cuts of the root showed that one was as good as the other. No experiments 

 were tried with lateral roots at that time ; nor did it occur to the grafter who 

 made the trial, because the apple-stocks seldom have any such laterals large 

 enough for grafting. Another experiment was tried, however ; and that was the 

 use of thorn-roots for pear-scions, in which all the roots from young wild thorns 

 were used indiscriminately, many of them being lateral roots : but no difference 

 was observed. They were exceedingly hard to work, and the experiment was 

 not very successful. 



As to the unfruitfulness of the trees produced from root-grafts, the testimony 

 of different observers, with different varieties and upon different soils, is all so 

 contradictory, that no safe conclusions can be drawn therefrom. Occasionally 

 we find in striking contrast a row of a given kind, root-grafted alongside of one 

 that has been budded or stock-grafted, — the one tardy in bearing, the other early 

 productive ; but even here there may be some other cause that might account 

 for the disparity. 



.Among our varieties, the difference in both hardiness and early productive- 

 ness is well marked, and universally admitted ; and the effect of deep, rich 

 soils in miking many varieties tardy bearers is easily understood, as the wood- 

 growth is stimulated at the expense of the production of fruit. « • » 



