STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 73 



Being assured that these trees were preferred in JSTorthern 

 Vermont and Canada before all others, and that no others 

 were safe to plant, I have sought for further information on 

 this subject, and will give the result of my inquiry by quoting 

 from a letter from a perfectly reliable source. Says my cor- 

 respondent : "The crab root, or stock, has no advantages over 

 good stocks from seed of the common apple. We do not find 

 our trees dying from root-killing, except in places where the 

 ground is bare all winter. In such places, crab-roots are 

 killed equally with the apple. The trees are no hardier on 

 crab-roots, not so long-lived, and except with a few sorts, 

 not so healthy. On such stock the fruit of many delicate 

 varieties is apt to be of small size, and affected more or less 

 in flavor. The "wild crab root" used by the nurseryman 

 referred to by you, is simply the Siberian stock grown from 

 seed of the crabs so abundant in this section. They are used 

 for cJiea^ness, and are puffed as of miraculous virtue, confer- 

 ring hardiness, fruitfulness, and exemption from all diseases 

 and all insects. All of which is a fraud, known to be such 

 by those who practice it, and laughed at as a shrewd game 

 to gull fools. I know of many orchards planted with these 

 trees during the last 18 years. I regard them all as failures 

 — the failure becoming more and more conspicuous as the 

 trees get older. I began my own orchard, 11 years ago, 

 with crab-grafted trees, but soon discarded them. I have 

 now 700 trees in m}'" orchard on free stocks, which are in 

 every respect as thrifty as any growing in my native county 

 of Kennebec. The crabs have perished, or are rapidly per- 

 ishing. I am convinced that the Siberian, being naturally 

 dwarf, does not furnish roots enough for the tree as it 

 acquires size. They become scrubby, bear little, and that 

 poor, and finally die at the age when a tree on apple roots is 

 coming into full bearing. While the trees are small they 

 grow well, and encourage hopes that are not fulfilled." 



In speaking of the laudable efforts of this Society to warn 

 the public against the fraudulent practices of tree agents from 

 abroad, he further remarks: "The vast majority of 'scrub 



