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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Quiz Column 
FUNGOUS DISEASES 
Is the book you are advertising by B. M. Duggar on fungous 
Diseases the latest and best thing on the subject ? Is it thoroughly 
up to date on remedial measures ? 
J. K., Indiana. 
ANSWER 
The book advertised in the pages of The National 
Nurseryman, under the title of “Fungous Diseases,’’ by 
Dr. B. M. Duggar, is the latest and be.st thing on the life 
histories of the leading diseases of fruits, vegetables, and 
flowers. It was published some six months ago, and at that 
time was thoroughly up to date in reference to the latest 
knowledge on the characteristics, life histories, and treat¬ 
ment of these diseases; but it is to be remembered that the 
application side of plant pathology is a continually progres¬ 
sive and developing feature, and no book can remain 
absolutely up-to-date on this unless it is frequently revised. 
Undoubtedly this volume will be revised before very long. 
It will, however, stand always as an authority on the 
characteristic features of the diseases. The grower must 
keep himself abreast of the latest knowledge on the question 
of treatment by securing the publications of the experiment 
stations as they are issued. 
TOP-WORKED TREES 
Would it pay to offer a line of top-worked apple trees? 
What are the points of superiority of top-worked trees over those 
propagated in the usual manner? Will it affect the color? For 
instance, we hear of a man who grafted Baldwins on Transcendent 
Crab, and claims his fruit is redder than common, and a better 
eropper. What stocks would you recommend for King and Spitzen- 
burg ? Would a tall, natural seedling be as desirable as a cultivated 
variety? We have had inquiries about Ben Davis as a stock for 
Baldwin. 
M. New York. 
ANSWER 
I am somewhat doubtful that it would pay you to adver¬ 
tise a general line of top-worked trees. There is, however, 
quite a constant and definite demand for top-worked trees 
of certain varieties. For instance, I think the King, 
Spitzenberg, and Boiken apples are much better top-worked 
than upon their own stocks. On the other hand, I see no 
advantage in top-working Baldwin, Greening, Spy, McIn¬ 
tosh, Wealthy, Duchess, Alexander, Sutton, or Hubbard- 
ston. 
My own notion is that top-working should be regarded as 
a special means of attaining certain results. In the King 
apple we desire a stock not subject to collar rot. In some 
other varieties, as Twenty-Ounce and Maiden Blush, we de¬ 
sire stocks more or less immune to canker, and stocks which 
will instil greater vigor into the variety. In the case of Boi¬ 
ken, we desire a stock which will produce a better root sys¬ 
tem than the Boiken ordinarily possesses. Aside from these 
points where a stock is used to secure some special feature. 
I am not in favor of top-working as a general practice. It 
is said that top-working hastens and increases fruitfulness. 
I am not sure that this general statement will hold. I do 
not think we can count on topworking as a means of affect¬ 
ing the color. I believe, however, that the hardiness of the 
variety, that is, its power to resist cold, may be slightly 
influenced by working it on a strictly hardy stock. I have 
seen cases where the color and quality of the fruit were 
apparently influenced by the stock. The unfortunate thing 
about this is that you probably could not count on the same 
result oecurring every time. In other words, these effects 
on color and quality are occasional and not constant. 
In top-working King and Spitzenberg, you should use 
large, long-lived trees. Duchess and Wealthy, for instance, 
would not be adapted. They represent an entirely different 
type of tree and the top would outgrow the stock in a few 
years. I do not know of anything better for King and 
Spitzenberg than Baldwin, Spy, and perhaps Bottle 
Greening. 
In the case of using seedlings for top-grafting stock, you 
would be sure to get a good deal of variation in your stock, 
and this would eliminate the feature of uniformity. I would 
not use Ben Davis on which to topwork Baldwin, because I 
am quite convinced that the latter would overtop the Ben 
Davis stock before maturity had been reached. 
I would repeat then that I believe that there is a market 
for a limited quantity of top-worked stock of certain varied- 
ties such as I have named above; and that it would be a 
desirable departure, and I have no doubt would meet with 
success if properly advertised; but on the other hand, I see 
no reason for engaging in a general top-working campaign 
for varieties which are fairly satisfactory on their own 
stocks. 
J. c. 
DOWNING’S FRUIT BOOKS 
Could you please tell me where I could get Downing’s books on 
Horticulture, especially his descriptive book on all kinds of trees, 
Plants and Ornamentals? 
Geo. B. 
ANSWER 
Downing’s horticultural works have long since gone out 
of print. His “Fruits and Fruit Trees of America,’’ which 
you specially refer to has gone through fifteen or sixteen 
editions and was published in a revised form by his brother, 
Charles Downing, some twenty-five years ago. The only 
way in which you could secure a copy of this at the-present 
time is through the good offices of some second-hand book 
dealer. You might write to E. B. Skinner & Co., or J. 
McDonough of Albany, N. Y., who make something of a 
specialty of horticultural books. Downing’s “Landscape 
Gardening’’ is much more difficult to obtain than his fruit 
book, and I doubt whether it will be possible at the present 
time to pick up a copy without a great deal of labor. If you 
want something on ornamental trees and plants, I would 
advise you to buy Kemp’s “How to Make a Garden,’’ 
recently revised by Waugh, and published by John Wiley 
& Son, New York. 
J. c. 
