PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRU IT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



31 



conditions that resulted in this decision were found to be as follows : In 

 well-grown one-year-old wood every eye or bnd is strong and perfect, 

 and can be depended upon to grow when the young tree is cut back to 

 the desired height, thus insuring a sufficient number of shoots from 

 which to select those that are to form the new and permanent head of 

 the tree. In two years on older wood these buds have performed their 

 proper functions in the production of either shoots or leaves and can 

 not be depended upon to put out uniformly. It was found that trees 

 grown the second year in nursery rows had invariably been branched 

 too high to meet the accepted standard of height in that locality, and 

 when these were cut back below the point at which they had been 

 branched, they were almost invariably put out from a bud just above 

 the ground. 



In following up this matter of nursery stock further, it was found 

 that there were still other factors to be considered. In almost every 

 apple orchard, even in those in which the general growth had been 

 satisfactorily and fairly uniform, there was found to be a distinct indi- 

 viduality in the trees of the same variety. Regular bearers, erratic 

 bearers, shy bearers. The foliage differed, too. I have seen a Yellow 

 Bellefleur, one out of fifty, carrying rich, green leaves throughout the 

 season, when the foliage of the remainder was brown and withered from 

 the attack of mildew, and this not only for one season, but for several 

 consecutive seasons. 



It was claimed at the time that these conditions were the logical 

 results of the indiscriminate cutting of buds for propagating purposes, 

 especially so of cutting buds and scions from nursery stock from young 

 trees that had not had an opportunity to develop any characteristics 

 whatever, either good, bad or indifferent. 



If the laws of heredity hold good in the vegetable kingdom, and the 

 history of horticulture will justify us in concluding that they do, the 

 character of resistance of foliage and habits of bearing can be trans- 

 mitted through the buds. It is well at this point to make the distinction 

 between a type and a character. No amount of care in selection will 

 transmit a type. A type is the result of environment, a character the 

 result of heredity. 



In the effort to transmit desirable characters through propagating 

 wood, it is well to remember that the individuality of an apple tree 

 can not be determined by the observations of a single season. It must 

 show persistent good behavior for several seasons, and must be accu- 

 rately watched and compared with other similar trees before we can 

 obtain a correct estimate of its habits. Many causes tend to produce 

 heavy bearing, high color, or large size for a season or two. but when 

 a tree under average orchard conditions shows that its habits of bear- 

 ing and health of foliage are stable, then there can be little question 

 about the transmission of its characters through its buds, and the 

 annual crop of buds from such a tree should be worth more money for 

 propagating purposes than the market value of its fruit. 



In the consummation of this ideal of having the good habits of the 

 apple trees universal throughout the orchard the initial step must be 

 taken by the planter. He must create the demand for pedigreed stock 

 and must be prepared to pay accordingly. A propagator of apple trees 

 can cut 1,000 buds in the nursery rows in less time that he can ten from 



