82 



Where top-working was employed on an extensive scale, 

 the growers chose some vigorous growing variety as a stock, 

 as, for example, Arkansas or Northern Spy and on these strong 

 trees a weaker variety as Grimes was top-worked later on. 

 In many cases the choice of stock was incidental; the grower 

 simply top-grafted some undesirable sort which happened to 

 be in his orchard, either seedling trees untrue to name or 

 odd varieties for which there is no market. 



Varieties which should be top-grafted . - In order to 

 get the growers viewpoint on this matter the following quest- 

 ion was asked. "That varieties should be top-grafted?" Rel- 

 atively few growers had had experience in top-grafting. This 

 question brought forth about the same information that is 

 given in the preceding paragraph. A number of growers stated 

 that they thought it desirable to top-work seedlings, also 

 varieties poor in color and quality or otherwise unprofit- 

 able. On the other hand, a number of growers were positive 

 in the opinion that top-working old trees is a practice of doubt- 

 ful practicability. 



A number of growers were agreed as to the desirabil- 

 ity of top-working Grimes on some strong, vigorous tree owing 

 to the fact that this variety is subject to collar rot when 

 root-grafted. There are two common practices by which this 

 is accomplished. One method is to plant some strong-growing 



