CHAPTER XXXI 

 ODDS AND ENDS 



COMPARATIVE BEARING OF APPLES ON THE CRAB AND 

 PARADISE STOCKS (Report XV, 74) 



THE collection of 117 varieties of apples grown on the crab 

 (or free) stock and on the paradise stock afforded data for a 

 comparison of the relative bearing of trees on the two stocks. 

 All the trees were of the same age, and had been grown as bush 

 trees : each variety was represented by four individuals on each 

 stock, and half of the trees had been subjected to a lighter form 

 of pruning than the other half. 



Representing the weights of fruit from the trees on the crab 

 stock as 100 in each season, the weights from those on the 

 paradise stock were 



1904. 6th season . 232 1911. I3th season . 126 



1906. 8th ,, . 264 1912. I4th ,, . 189 



1907. 9th . 430 1913. 15th . 76 



1908. loth ,, . 143 1915. 1 7th ,, . 62 



1909. nth ,, . 144 1916. i8th ,, . 30 



1910. i2th ,, . 260 I9J7- X 9th ,. . 125 



Average . . 246 Average . . 101 



Taking the first six seasons to which these records apply, it 

 appears that the yield from the trees on the paradise stock is 

 about two-and-a-half times greater than from that of those on 

 the crab stock, and a still greater superiority would have been 

 shown if the records prior to the sixth season had been included, 

 for this superiority gradually decreases as time goes on, though, 

 naturally, with great seasonal irregularities : during the 

 second six years over which the records extend, the average 

 bearing on the two stocks is almost identical. Doubtless in 

 future years and, indeed, that is already so as regards three 

 of the last four entries the trees on the crab will be more 

 profitable than those on the paradise. 



An examination was also made of the relative size of the fruits 



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