'78 THE CANADIAN IIOIITICULTUIIIST. 



GRAFTING IN THE TOP. 



Mr. D. Bell has a farm about six miles north-west from Cobourg. Last 

 -fall he called on me offering some very fine Spitzenburg apples. I asked 

 him how many he had. He said thirty-two barrels. I then asked him how 

 many trees he had gathered them from. He said five. And how many 

 •did you get from the five trees last year '? He said eighteen bai'rels. As 

 I knew the Spitzenburg to be a poor grower, I asked him to explain. Mr. 

 Bell said, about twenty-six years ago he planted about three and a half 

 acres of apple trees, consisting of G-olden Russet, Spitzenburg, Northern 

 Spy, Greening, Red Canada, Talman Sweet, Baldwin, &c., &c. Twelve or 

 fifteen years ago he cut back to about four or five feet from the ground five 

 seedling apple trees that were gi-owing in the garden, (they were about eight 

 years old,) and grafted them with the Spitzenburg, hence the above result. 

 He stated that the Spitzenburgs that were planted twenty-six years ago are 

 'nearly all dead, as are also the Baldwins, but the Spitzenburgs that wei'e 

 top-grafted are almost as large as the Talman Sweet that are in the Orchard, 

 and are fine and healthy. Mr. J. W. Johnstone, Campbellford, called on 

 me a few days ago, and I stated to him Mr. Bell's .success in top-grafting. 

 •He then told me how he had succeeded with the Northern Spy. Seven 

 years ago he cut back a seedling three or four years old and grafted the N. 

 Spy on it. The fifth year after grafting he gathered l^ barrels, the sixth 

 •year 1-^ barrels, and last fall 1^ barrels. Four years ago he top-grafted 

 three seedlings, and last fall he gathered about half a barrel from each, 

 showing that top grafting is best for some varieties. Through Mr. John- 

 stone's recommendation, a Mr. Burgess, of Baltimore, {five miles from here) 

 planted ten acres of seedlings la,st spring. When they are three or four 

 years old he intends to top-graft all of them. If any one wishes to try top- 

 •grafting let him so\v the apple seeds next spring. The following spring select 

 such as have made a good growth and have healthy stocks, and I think they 

 will find top-grafting to be superior to i-oot-grafting, especially for the north. 



J. D. Roberts, Cobourg. 



ENLARGING THE HORTICULTURIST. 



I am pleased with the Horticulturist, which comes quite regularly, 

 but I would like to see it enlarged, even althovigh we should be obliged to 

 pay more for it. Send me the Hydrangea paniculata. I would have 

 taken the Wealthy apple, but last year I bought a number from Dr. Hos- 

 kins, which so far have done well. I will report later on, as this is the 

 place to try them, as while I write the thermometer stands at 22 degrees 

 below zero, and it sometimes goes to 40. 



A. A. Wright, Renfrew, 



Several valuable communieations are unavoidably cro^yded out of 

 this issue. They will appear in the June uumber. 



