98 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1912 



Caliper measure Is the only sure stand- 

 ard to go by 



Apple trees should have more fibrous 

 roots than cherries 



Look for well developed heads on crab 

 apples 



Cherry trees. Compare with the apples 

 to the left 



In the West all apples are grafted, be- 

 cause the soil there makes grafted stock a 

 better success and it is cheaper. Grafting 

 is done during the winter months. A seed- 

 ling or its root is slit open, likewise a scion. 

 The two are joined, wrapped with graft- 

 ing wax, packed in small boxes in sand, and 

 placed in a frost-proof cellar. In this dor- 

 mant state they remain until spring when 

 the union has somewhat formed. They are 

 then planted into rows and in two years 

 make such trees as shown in the illustration. 



Though the methods employed differ, 

 the results do not vary greatly so long as 

 the material and workmanship utilized 

 are first class. 



Apples. — French craD apple seedlings 

 grown in this country or France are doubt- 

 less the best for the foundation of a good 

 apple tree, because these seedlings have a 

 splendid root system. In late years, many 

 apple seedlings have been produced in the 

 ideal soil of the Kaw Valley between Law- 

 rence and Topeka in the state of Kansas. 



Probably 75 per cent, of aU the apple 

 seedlings used in the country are now pro- 

 duced there. 



It is important that scion and root 

 should be of as uniform size as possible, 

 when grafted. The disregard of this rule 

 is responsible for both crown gall and hairy 

 root, two physical defects due to incom- 

 plete or imperfect union of scion and root. 

 Crown gall is a knotty growth where the 

 union was formed, while hairy root is a 

 ball-like growth of hairy roots in the same 

 place. Both are often caused by grafting a 

 larger scion than the root will hold and both 

 deformities undoubtedly make the tree 

 short-lived. 



A good apple tree should have three or 



four strong tap roots and some smaller 

 roots. The union should be well healed 

 over, trunk and head of tree should be well 

 proportioned and have a clean appearance. 

 See that the bale of trees contains state- 

 ment on tag that the trees were treated for 

 root-aphis by fumigation before leaving 

 the nursery. 

 Cherries. Most are budded on French 



Look for a mass of fibrous roots on currants 



mahaleb — a stock grown from sour cherry 

 pits. Some growers have planted sweet 

 cherry pits of late which produce the maz- 

 zard stock. So far, French mahaleb has 

 proven the most dependable. 



While cherry trees are an ideal fruit for 

 home grounds, some attention should be 

 paid by planters as to which class does best 

 in different sections. Sweet cherries thrive 

 in the Eastern states and in the far West. 

 In the middle West they grow, but I have 

 never known one to bear fruit. Sour 

 cherries of the Duke and Morello type do 

 well anywhere, and are fine for every pur- 

 pose. 



Cherry trees are entirely free from dis- 

 eases, on which account nurserymen like 

 to handle them most. They have but few 

 roots, two or three is all one finds any time. 

 But this is the nature of the tree rather 

 than a physical defect. 



Peaches. The finest trees are those 

 budded or grafted on peach seedlings raised 

 from pits of wild peaches, which grow 

 abundantly in the mountain region of 

 Tennessee. These seedlings bring with 

 them the sturdiness of that country, are . 

 exceptionally hardy and practically free 

 from disease. They make healthier and 

 thriftier trees than those grown on or- ■ 

 dinary seedlings raised from pits collected 

 in canning factories. 



Young peach trees are never as sturdy 

 as apple trees. They should have a more 

 compact and more fibrous root system, 

 however, while smooth, shapely trunk and 

 a many branched head are essential to 

 quick and profitable results with the full- 

 grown tree. 



Pears. Are grafted or budded on French 

 pear seedlings. The dwarf forms are 



