PARADISE APPLE STOCKS. 
399 
It will, of course, be realized that there are two points of view 
with regard to the " stock question." One side has been sufficiently 
emphasized in this Report in order that the matter may receive the 
attention it deserves. Certainly the initial observations seem to 
justify this emphasis. On the other hand, it is perhaps well to quote 
what Knight once wrote of the stock: "The office of the stock is, 
in every sense of the word, subservient ; and it acts only in obedience 
to the impulse it receives from the branches ; the only qualities 
therefore, which are wanting to form a perfect stock are vigour and 
hardiness." Even so, our investigations have their work to perform. 
Selection is obviously necessary from the numerous types of different 
vigour. It is greatly to be hoped that the work will receive the co- 
operation of both nurserymen and growers. Some of the former 
at present emphasize the importance of a true stock bed and a good 
stock. The grower should see that it is of advantage to the nursery- 
man to put a " good brand " upon the market. There should be more 
inquisitiveness about " Apples on Paradise." A great aid to progress 
would be a definite standardization and revision of names by the 
trade. Doubtless, certain types of Paradise at present unnamed 
have, to the nurseryman's knowledge, proved suitable to certain 
districts and uses. If we can proceed along these lines, valuable 
information and reliable results should be forthcoming, such as would 
be of benefit both to the raisers and growers of fruit-trees. Our 
knowledge of the Paradise stock has advanced considerably since 
the seventeenth century, but the subtleties of choosing a stock seem 
to have been more fully explored even by the writer who described 
the Paradise Apple as " a curious fruit produced by grafting a Pear- 
main on a Quince." 
[The photographs illustrating habit and root systems in this 
report are the work of Mr. J. Ames and those representing foliage 
characters of Mr. Reginald Malby.] 
