SELECTION OF THE TREES 



39 



production in the nurseries. From what little we know at present 

 upon this question, it would seem advisable to stick to the older, 

 more general idea that trees developed in nurseries near one's 

 farm are more highly recommended for planting, provided they 

 are first-class stock. 



Standards versus dwarfs. As a rule the average commercial 

 grower in America bothers but little with the dwarf apple trees. 

 However, in the older countries across the ocean, there are 

 many instances of success in the cultivation of these dwarf apples. 



Fig. i i. Where the young trees are started 

 A portion of a nursery at Dansville, New York 



One not familiar with the term " dwarf " might ask, What is a 

 dwarf ? A dwarf is a certain variety of fruit, in this case an apple, 

 which is grown upon a slower-growing stock so that the limbs or 

 top of the tree may never attain normal size. Examples of this 

 would be the top or limbs of the Red Astrachan, Alexander, 

 Dutchess, Northern Spy, King, Jonathan, etc. grafted upon the 

 so-called Paradise or Doucin or some other very small-growing 

 apple plant. 



A well-grown, carefully attended dwarf apple will attain the height 

 of from 5 to 8 feet in twenty-five to thirty years. Undoubtedly, a 

 tree of this size offers many advantages over a larger-growing 

 tree in the ease of spraying, pruning, picking, etc. 



