SUGGESTIONS FOR RIGHT SELECTION OF APPLE STOCKS. 267 



by layers, wood and root cuttings, and could be used for standard 

 purposes with comparative safety. 



It is, of course, a long business to raise a large number of stocks 

 from a few plants such as we possessed at East Mailing ; but we have 

 never claimed that these particular stocks are the ultimate ideal for 

 free stocks. We claim that they point the way to the right solution 

 of the problem : the raising of free stocks vegetatively in order to 

 obtain uniformity. It is possible to do this without permanently 

 altering the fixed character of the root system. 



I suggest that it is within the reach of every nurseryman to select 

 from his free or crab stock beds one or more types which he fancies 

 as free stocks, and which at the same time have indication — in the 

 form of root knots — that they will readily root vegetatively. He 

 can quickly work up a standard and uniform stock in this way if he 

 is unable to obtain or does not like our stronger Paradise types, such 

 as X, XIII, or XVI. 



Out of my one hundred free stocks I picked out eight which 

 looked like making good free stocks, and which at the same time 

 looked as if they would layer readily ; all of these have already 

 actually rooted. 



Such a movement for the selection and standardization by individual 

 nurserymen of their own free stocks would be a great step forward 

 both in their own interest and that of fruit-growers. The latter 

 should give the former the necessary encouragement to induce them 

 to take on this new responsibility and to give a guarantee that their trees 

 are worked on definitely selected stocks of known origin. Ultimately, 

 doubtless certain strains of free stock would prove pre-eminently 

 desirable, and when they had been worked up in sufficient quantity 

 they could be distributed over the whole country and general uni- 

 formity attained. Meanwhile local standardization could only tend 

 to a better average quality of trees. 



3. A third and quick method occurs to me as practical in the 

 present stock emergency ; that is, reproduction of the most promising 

 sorts from root cuttings. 



When the lifting season comes it is only too obvious in every bed 

 of standards that certain individuals have done much better than 

 others. 



As these better trees are lifted and their roots trimmed, these root 

 cuttings should be preserved and kept separate from the inferior 

 ones. Very good stocks can quickly be obtained by this method, and 

 a higher grade of stock would be aimed at. Such a method would, 

 of course, need care and supervision. 



I am confident that in the end both nurserymen and growers will 

 welcome any method which will bring them a higher percentage of 

 good and reliable trees on free-growing stocks. Until our experi- 

 ments have gone further, I do not see that anything much more 

 definite can be advised, but meanwhile acres are being planted up 

 and we should aim at having these acres as well planted as possible. 



VOL. XLV. T 



