IOWA FRUir NOTES. 



455 



trees are shorter lived or less hardy than whole-rooted 

 trees, but they certainly indicate lines of definite inves- 

 tigation. The piece-root apparently serves an excellent 

 and perhaps indispensable purpose in the northwest, 

 where great hardiness is required, by allowing the use 

 of a long cion, which may be set deep in order that roots 

 may start from it. In this manner an own-rooted tree 



is secured, as the piece-root only serves as a temporary 

 mother for a cutting. The cion represents a variety of 

 known hardiness, while seedling stocks are variable, and 

 there is probably only an occasional one which is hardy 

 enough to endure very severe climates. In the east, 

 piece or root-grafting is falling into disfavor. — L. H. 

 Bailey, befort- Niirscrynwn' s Association . 



IOWA FRUIT NOTES. 



HYBRIDIZING THE WILD CRAB HARDY BUDS AND BLOSSOMS. 



■YBRIDIZING THE Wild Crab.— 

 I have read carefully the state- 

 ments of A. W. Sias and Profes- 

 sor John Craig, in regard to the 

 possible improvement of Pynis 

 7) coronnrio . During the past five 

 years I have given the subject 

 some study, and it may be well 

 to give briefly my present con- 

 clusions upon this important matter. 



(1) It will be difficult, if not impossible, to secure 

 fertile seeds. We have made a number of successful 

 crosses, as was indicated by the fact that we varied the 

 shape and markings of the fruit of the crab, but as yet 

 we have not been able to germinate a single seed. The 

 cross is a violent one. and so far the fruits have been 

 seedless or, when apparently perfect, the seeds have 

 failed to germinate with the best possible care, both in 

 plant-house and the open air. 



(2) We have no evidence that the Soulard crab named 

 by Mr. Craig is a hybrid, or even a marked variation of 

 the species. The P. corona>-ia in the west runs into 

 many varieties, differing in size of tree, leaf, habit of 

 growth, and in size, season and quality of fruit. During 

 the past ten years I have seen many specimens from 

 native groves, as large and good as the Soulard, or the 

 supposed crosses of Mr. Patten and Mr. Fluke. So 

 long as the peculiar core surrondings of the wild crab 

 are retained, and the typical leaf and flower, I shall 

 have no faith in supposed hybrids. 



(3) If hybrids are produced — as is yet possible and 

 probable — they will not be as rich in promise as is usual- 

 ly supposed. In the prairie states the native crab is not 

 a truly hardy tree outside of its native haunts in the 

 thickets. Exposed to wind, storm, and sun, in isolated 

 positions in orchards, it is subject to blight, sunscald, 

 and other troubles, which the Oldenburg, Anis, Hibernal, 

 Silken Leaf and dozens of our cultivated apples wholly 

 escape. At the far north, where the hardiness of a tree 

 is fully tested, the crab apple is not found native, and 

 when planted beside the true iron-clads it fails on ac- 

 count of winter injury. 



(4) We already have Russian varieties of the apple 

 that are hardier in every respect under culture than 

 the wild crab, and have proved good bearers of large, 

 handsome and good fruit that keeps through winter 



These conclusions are not given to discourage at- 

 tempts to improve our native fruits, but to direct atten- 

 tion to the fact that our most promising field of work 

 at present is the crossing of the hardiest and best of 

 our late fall and winter Russian apples, with the pollen 



FiG. 4. Root-production on Piece-rooted Stocks. 



of such excellent sorts as Grimes' Golden, Jonathan, 

 Fulton, Northern Spy, Osceola, etc. We already have 

 young trees from such crosses that promise to be fully 

 as hardy in tree as our native crab. 



