PROPAGATION OF APPLE TREES. 113 



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longevity, and the selection has been going on so long that our trees 

 are all of the same class; heavy bearers, and short-lived. 



Prof. Hartley — The short-lived feature is general. No doubt 

 nature intended trees to grow on their own roots, but she never in- 

 tended them to bear such heavy crops as our apple trees do. 



Barnard — Nature is my school teacher. I maintain that differ- 

 ent varieties of apple have different kinds of roots. Seed does not 

 reproduce; Peter M. Gideon found two out of 700 seedlings that 

 were good enough to propagate. Each- tree has a peculiar root of its 

 own, and the cion dictates to the root every time. 



Beltzer — This is a good subject, but we are in deep water; it is 

 hard to solve and we can't agree. Our people want to know how to 

 prevent sun-scald on the southwest side of apple trees. I am an ad- 

 vocate of root grafting ; have no budded trees planted. 



Griffin — Concerning the aphis, I think that's what ails the trees. 

 Mr. Reed can tell us about it; everybody is complaining of it. Mr. 

 Masters noticed it, but I think nobody can help noticing it. 



Youngers — Mr. Masters made the point. 



Morton — Let us have Prof. Bruner called in to explain. 



Griffin — Let Reed tell. 



Reed — About all I can tell is that we have lost a large number of 

 apple seedlings, and that the aphis is working on both roots and tops 

 now in the orchard and nursery. The ground seems alive with them 

 down our way. 



(Prof. Bruner was here called in.) 



Prof. Bruner — The woolly aphis, or apple plant louse, works on 

 both stems and roots. It assumes two forms, the woolly form affect- 

 ing the roots of plants, the other the tops. It may be destroyed 

 by dipping the infected parts, or applying to them soapsuds, lye, or 

 kerosene emulsions. The aphis is very prolific, a single female pro- 

 ducing in a single season about six millions of lice. They travel on 

 foot, like many other insects, and with wings. Each form is capable 

 of producing the other. The eggs are deposited on twigs or roots 

 and cause galls and the moldy appearance on the roots of trees so af- 

 fected. The mold is merely the woolly secretion the females exude 

 when depositing their eggs. Wherever they are you can find the 

 woolly lice by their moldy or woolly appearance. Kerosene is the best 

 insecticide for the aphis, but it is hard to apply on the roots of trees 

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