314 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAfI INSTITUTE. 



many think short pieces best, and certainly one three inches long is prefer- 

 able to one ten inches or a foot. Three to four inches is as good as more, 

 and these pieces may be used as far down as the root is healthy and of suf- 

 ficient size. If old roots are used anywhere, it is unknown to me, and I do 

 not believe it is practiced now to any extent." 



Mr. Solon Robinson — Perhaps not to as great an extent as formerly. 

 It is this kind of grafting that is objectionable. No member of this Club 

 believes that root-grafting, honestly done, would not give good results; 

 yet many who expressed their opinions on the subject seem to prefer trees 

 that have been grafted or budded in the stock instead of pieces of root. 



Of the manner of preparing the roots and scions for joining, a member 

 stated that he had seen a common carpenter's plane used with great success. 

 The operator takes it between his knees and applies the piece of root or scion 

 till he gets the right bevel, and a little practice enables him to bring all 

 the pieces to the same bevel, so that they fit together exactly, and in join- 

 ing, all the care that is necessary is to pick up roots and grafts of suitable 

 size, and lap them together, and wax and tie, and throw them in a pile. A 

 man in Illinois who practiced in this way, prepared two acres of ground 

 by high manuring, plowed in, and the scions set with one bud above ground 

 in the spring, made such a growth during summer that a man was hidden 

 a few rods distant in the nursery. 



Mr. W. IS. Carpenter said that although he decidedly preferred stock to root 

 grafting, he was aware that nearly all the nursery trees sold are root 

 grafted. He then distributed some scions of the Selleck pear, which orig- 

 inated in Vermont, and is one of our very good American pears, ripening 

 in October. Of American sorts, he said, we now have some that begin to 

 be appreciated, not only here, but in France. He mentioned the Bergen 

 pear as one well worthy of attention. It is about as good and large as 

 the Bartlett. In answer to the question, he said that he should prefer 

 autumn planting of pear trees, upon well prepared, dry soil, never upon 

 wet soil. He has commenced setting in autumn, while the leaves are green, 

 and he has set trees in spring, after the blossom buds started, and had 

 all live. 



Mr. Samuel Miller, of Lebanon, Penn., says: There is nothing seems to 

 grate more harshly upon my pomological ear than to hear a man say this 

 or that, or these vines don't suit me ; I will dig them up, and plant others 

 that please me better. 



This is most assuredly a great error. I consider them equal to whatever 

 I desire to have there, save one years' time lost, providing wood can be 

 procured of the desired varieties. I would rather give $5 for five good 

 eyes of a new grape, than pay that sum for five vines of small ones, 

 simply because, with these five eyes, I would count upon having at leases 

 four good strong vines in one season thereafter. 



The question arises, How ? It is by grafting, and this in the face of 

 come of the knowing ones, stating and writing that grafted vines are short 

 lived, and are not to be recommended. But facts are stubborn things, and 

 I have them daily before me. Supposing you take a walk with me along 

 my grape border, originally to contain eighty varieties, many of which 



