EXPERIMENTS WORTHY OF BEING CONTINUED. 81 



I have chiefly confined myself to a single variety, Cleopatra, because it is very liable to Bitter 

 Pit, and it is necessary to test the cumulative effects of a system of pruning for a number of years. 



Thus the fact that the London Pippin naturally produces spurs on the main and secondary 

 leaders has been taken advantage of by growers to the extent that all laterals are pruned off, or at 

 least shortened in to short spur systems. 



Another cogent fact is this, that London Pippin is increasingly suffering from "crinkle." 



Pruning experiments show clearly that the retention and extension of the lateral system resulted 

 in a considerable reduction of "crinkle." 



This should be carried out still further to prove to the satisfaction of every one that laterals 

 should either be removed or retained in this variety. 



The different methods, continued for four years, have already shown decided differences in the 

 amount of Pit, and it is very desirable to continue the experiments already begun. The four systems 

 adopted for experimental purposes have already been explained in the previous reports. They were 

 "heavy," "light," "leader," and "no" pruning. The two latter have served their purpose, as far as 

 the experiments have gone, and it might be wise to drop these, confining further work to tests of heavy 

 and light pruning, especially in such cases and in such varieties where Pit or the confluent form of 

 Pit, or "crinkle," have shown themselves to be very prevalent. The pruning experiments might be 

 further elaborated so as to allow those varieties which produce spurs freely to be pruned to fruit-spurs 

 only, allowing for no lateral system whatever. 



STOCKS. 



In experimenting with stocks there are a number of important questions to be answered con- 

 cerning the reciprocal relation between stock and scion, and the experiments now under way should 

 at least answer some of these questions. We know that the changes induced by the stock do not 

 alter the identity of the variety, but slight modifications may be produced which make one stock 

 more valuable than another. 



The standard apple stocks are grown from seed, and in each case we enquire, How does the stock 

 modify the size of the tree? How does it influence fruitfulness? And how does it affect the period of 

 ripening, as well as the size and colour and flavour of the fruit? Some stocks may be better suited to a 

 particular soil and climate than others and thus tend to increase the length of life of the tree. 



From the very nature of the case a considerable time must elapse before results are available, 

 and the stock tests contain such immense possibilities of securing more and better fruit that they should 

 receive special attention. 



At the very outset of this investigation I felt the necessity and importance of studying the wild 

 crab apple in its relation to Bitter Pit, both as a stock and as a cross with cultivated varieties. I 

 wrote to Luther Burbank, the famous plant breeder, as the most likely source for getting the necessary 

 material, and he kindly replied : "Most of my experiments with crosses with wild, native, and 

 cultivated apples have been eliminated, but I have made arrangements to send you some things in this 

 line which may be of interest to you." 



There is here a special investigation of great promise for the future, but, of course, with the 

 limited time at my disposal there are no results of value at present to record. 



BREEDING OF NEW VARIETIES AND SELECTION. 



The breeding of sorts resistant to disease is now a promising line of investigation, and from the 

 results obtained in France with the grape there is a possibility of successful control. A beginning has 

 been made in this direction by the mutual crossing of Yates and Cleopatra, the Yates being compara- 

 tively immune to Bitter Pit and the Cleopatra very susceptible. There was a definite object in view 

 here to secure a Cleopatra apple with all the good qualities of the type, with the added quality to be 



