nitial growth of the scion leads to a flow of foreign
bodies into the stock. The theory is advanced that the stock develops
antitoxins to these foreign bodies which succeed in killing the scion a
few weeks later.

If a particular strain of nut tree stock is some day found to be of
particular value for grafting, or for propagation of a disease resistant
type, as in the chestnut, the propagation of such stock vegetatively
would be essential. A present illustration is the series of Malling
apple rootstocks which are grown from cuttings.

I have tried many times to grow chestnuts from cuttings with no success.
A few experiments now in progress are limited to Malling IX apple stocks
which I assume are not especially difficult to root. I am trying several
modifications of a principle of making the cuttings at some time after
girdling the stem. The hope is that in this way there will be
accumulated at the base of the cutting more than the usual reserve of
nutritive elements together with whatever plant wound hormones and plant
growth substances the twig is capable of synthesizing.

Scion Storage

In earlier papers I described the use of sodium sulfate crystals
(Glauber's salt) for controlling the humidity in scion storage. This
season I have adapted the practice to the shipping of fresh walnut bud
sticks. A sack of Glauber's salt in the bottom of the mailing tube keeps
the cuttings moist, and if, in addition, the container is kept in a
refrigerator when not actually in transit, the buds have been kept in
condition for use up to twenty-five days.

A low temperature is essential in storage of any scions. Variations in
this factor may have been the cause of some of the objections which have
been raised to the practice of coating scions with wax when they go into
storage. If wax is to be applied over a scion, it can be done more
uniformly and in a thinner coating by immersion of the scion in melted
wax. The scion so coated seems to be in better condition than an
uncoated scion when it comes out of storage provided the storage
temperature has been low. However, if the wood has not been kept dormant
by low temperature, gases are evolved which form blisters under the wax
and injure the scion. It is quite probable that a wax coating then
aggravates this damage.

Grafting and Budding

Until this year I had not tried budding, and have gotten into it first
of all to learn whether an ordinary laboratory cork borer is not a
us