106 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PROPAGATION OF APPLE TREES. 



BY G. J. CAEPENTEE. 



There are three methods employed by nurserymen in propagating 

 apple trees : budding, collar-grafting on whole roots with a short cion,. 

 and grafting on piece roots or a short section of a root with a long cion. 

 I am very frequently asked the question, " Which makes the best 

 tree/' and I invariably answer, the latter system ; then, to the ques- 

 tion, " Why," my reply is that where a short root and long cion is 

 nsed, we get a tree on its own roots, and that if a tree is hardy above 

 ground, it will certainly be hardy below. All that a short piece of 

 root does for the long cion is to furnish water or sap enough to keep 

 the cion alive until it can throw out roots for its own support. The 

 short piece of root, being down where the ground is cool, is never de- 

 veloped to any extent ; in fact, you will find them on three-year-old 

 trees but little larger than they were when first planted. 



Again, trees propagated this way grow more slowly the first season 

 than those produced by the two other methods, and they ripen their 

 wood better in the fall, and are less liable to black-heart, which is 

 caused by the severe freezing of unmatured wood. 



The next question asked is, " What are yonr objections to the 

 whole root and short cion method ? " and I answer that if you plant 

 apple seed, no matter how carefully you may have selected it, and al- 

 low the plants grown therefrom to remain in the ground over winter, 

 you will find in the spring seventy-five per cent of them dead from 

 the effects of root-freezing, all this provided the mercury falls to or 

 below zero during winter. 



JSTow suppose a cion is put in at the collar or at the surface of the 

 ground. In one of those tender roots the tree so grown will be root- 

 frozen the first winter unless the nurseryman banks earth up over 

 them or the snow happens to cover them during the coldest weather. 



I have the same objection to budded trees, as the buds are put in 

 above ground and the tender seedling root is liable to freeze the same 

 as in the case of collar-grafts. 



