Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-04-11
st. JOhnsbury. vt, April IL, 1873.
THE SIBERIAN CRAB AS A STOCK
FOR THE APPLE.

FNNFNN-N~e
the fruit-growers of the state,. owing to
the large quantities of crab-grafted trees
now offered for sale, and as our readers have
been greatly increased in number since
anything has been said about it by us, we
recur to it again.
Before going into the merits Of the case,
we wish to disclaim any wish to attack per-
sonally those who believe in and use the ST.
berian stock for grating We recognize
this as one Of the questions upon which men
may honestly disagree; but at the same
time, if our views are right, the use Of the
crab as a stock is bound to be second only,
in injury to the fruit growing interests of the
northern part of the state, to the influence
OF the Western tree peddlers who have, by
the worthless character Of their trees not
only swindled our farmers, but almost utter
ly discouraged them from attempting apple
culture at all.
There are, in our mind three objections
to the crab stock, either one of which is suf-
fcient to condemn it,
LIST. 1t does not make the trees more, but
rather less hardy than when grated on prop
er stocks of their own species.
ID. 1t makes the trees short-lived.
Sd. 1t materially Injuries the quality of
the fruit.
In reference to the first point, it would be
well to premise our remarks by the state
ment Of a fact not generally understood, viz
that the Siberian apple is an entirely dis
tiact species from our common apple, and
not simply different variety. 1t differs,
not as one kind of the common apple, Ia
Baldwin and Greening, for instance,) diff
fers from another, but as the pear and the
ounce differ from each other, or as the ma.
tive choke cherry differs from the cultivated
cherries. The pear can be grated upon the
ounce, and for long time it was thought,
as it is now thought in regard to crab-graft-
ed apples, that some advantage was gained
by the operation. Millions of pears upon
ounce stocks have been sold, but now every
leading pear orchardist in the country con-
dennis them, except as garden trees, and
even for that some have disca rded them.
We say the pear groioS upon the ounce, yet
this rule is not universal many varieties OF
the pear refusing to unite with the ounce
stock so as to make a tree, or grow more
than few years, if at all. And it is the
same with the apple upon the Siberian crab.
Several varieties, to our certain knowledge,
utterly refuse to grow upon the crab stock,
thus demonstrating, if any demonstration Of
an unchallenged botanical fact were needed,
that these two species are unsuited to each
other in the relations Of stock and scion.
The unsuitableness OF distinct species Of
fruit trees, however closely allied, to serve
as stocks for one another in grating and
budding, is becoming better understood by
nurserymen every year. When it was first
found possible to graft many nearly allied
species upon one another, it was hoped that
some desirable ends of dwarfing, early fruit
ing, &c, might be obtained. The peach has
been budded upon the plum, the pear upon
the ounce, and the apple upon the Siberian
crab for many years, but up to this moment
there does not exist upon the face of the
earth a single successful orchard Of any one
Of these trees so grated. This is clinch-
ing proof which cannot be successfully de-
MED, or the force Of it as warning to Or
chardists broken.
We state, as our first objection, that the
crab stock makes the apples grated upon it
less rather than more hardy. This is univer.
sally admitted to be the case with the pear
grated upon the ounce; and the reason is
manifest, since all degrees Of imperfection
in the union of the two species exist, and
imperfect union is certain cause Of tender
ness in the tree. Some varieties of the APP
pie make pretty good union with the crab
and, like few varieties of the pear on the
ounce, are tolerably hardy; but in even the
best cases the roots show a marked differ
ence, when grown side by side and after a
few years the checked growth and imperfect
fruit demonstrate the evil when it is too late
for remedy, except through the loss of years
Of time and much money, patience and cour
age. The statement so often made that the
crab root d" imparts hardness to the appl,
grated upon it, is so ridiculous that only thu
most credulous can be made to believe it
If this we're so, what would hinder us from
growing the Baldwin, Rhode Island Green
ing Spitzenburgh and many other excelien
but tender varieties in northeastern Yer
mont? We should only have TO graft then
upon Siberian roots, and hardness
would be impaired to them. Is it done
Never and there is not single variety
now growing upon the crab stock which can
not and is not showing equal or greater hardi
ness upon the apple stock, as investigation
will abundantly prove.
That apples grated upon crab stocks ar,
short-lved, like pears upon the ounce, un
. less they are planted deep enough to throw
out roots above the point Of union, is admit
ted by all the best pomoogsts. The Sibe
ran apple is a shOrt-liyed species, the tre
rarely growing to one-fourth Of the size at
tanned by the common apple, and showing
every sign of age by the time its trunl
reaches diameter Of six or eight inches
Abundant examples in proof of this fact cal
be shown while on the other hand yer,
large or very old Siberian crab trees hav
never been recorded, as we are CONSTANT