164 HORTICULTURAL MANUAL. 



large part for many years. Yet in the quite-distant future 

 we may develop from this hardy species a race of apples that 

 will become favorites for many purposes and possibly for 

 dessert use. At this time Mr. B. A. Mathews, of Knox- 

 ville, Iowa, grows the Mathews crab for market, and 

 reports that he sells it for one dollar per bushel when 

 orchard varieties are selling for from fifty to seventy-five 

 cents. But the use made of them by purchasers is to mix 

 with common apples for culinary use to impart a quince 

 flavor. 



168. Dwarf Apple-trees, In the growing of handsome 

 and good summer and fall apples in private gardens 

 dwarfing on paradise or other dwarf stocks is often an 

 advantage, as they can be grown along drives or even walks. 

 Section (145) gives hints on shaping and the selection of 

 stocks for different parts of the country. Such varieties 

 as Longfield, Anisovka, Red Astrachan, Jersey sweet, 

 Porter, Baldwin, 'Dyer, Benoni, and sweet Bough form 

 fine rounded, tops without much attention to pruning. If 

 not wanted along roads or paths they can be given a small 

 plot of ground where they can be planted about as closely 

 together as the grape and closer than sour cherries and 

 the plums. They come into bearing as soon as the grape 

 and when six years old usually bear a bushel each season. 

 At the West we have known the Longfield on Pyrus toringo 

 stocks to bear one bushel of fruit four years after planting 

 in garden. The needed pruning is given in section (145). 



169. Propagation of the Apple. Within recent years 

 the growing of apple-seedlings has become a business 

 carried on by specialists. In the prairie States for many 

 years they have been grown as a leading crop for sale to 

 propagators in all parts of the Union. This extended 

 business has grown out of the fact that the strongest roots 

 and most numerous nitrogen-feeding fibres are found on 



