tive of propagating by grafting or budding is
considered a better method if it can be practiced, as it gives a plant
on its own roots instead of the roots of some unknown seedling stock.

[Illustration: _Hybrid Chestnut; natural size, one of the two survivors
of several dozen trees sent by the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture for
testing this far north. Fair size nut and it resembles the American
Sweet Chestnut. Photo by C. Weschcke._]

Another tree that surprised me when it came into bearing proved to bear
one nut in a burr which led me to believe that it was a chinquapin
hybrid. Later on, the habit of this tree changed somewhat and some of
the burrs had more than one nut. I have found this to be the experience
of others who have observed so-called chinquapin trees of a hybrid
nature. It is my belief that the kind of pollen with which these
blossoms are fertilized directly influences the number of nuts in a burr
and sometimes the size of the nuts, again showing the importance of the
cross-pollinating varieties when setting out an orchard of trees. This
particular chinquapin type chestnut has upright growing habits different
from a tree bearing similar nuts but having a very dwarfed habit. All of
the nuts of the latter after six years of bearing can be picked off this
tree by standing on the ground. There are several other trees bearing
chestnuts, some large and some small nuts, all of which are interesting
to me and may be important in the future of the chestnuts this far north
since they indicate without doubt that the chestnut can accommodate
itself to our climate, providing it has the right type of soil to grow
in. In 1952 I acquired a 20-acre adjoining piece of land which has a
much better chestnut growing site, being deep sandy soil, well drained,
and yet not ever being dry. New varieties will be tested on this piece
and should give much better results than the old trees which already
were good enough to indicate success in chestnuts.

[Illustration: _A hybrid chestnut presumed to be a cross between
European Chestnut (Castanea Sativa) and its American cousin (Castanea
Americana). Actual size. Photo by C. Weschcke._]

[Illustration: _Chinquapin hybrids from a tall growing tree. Nuts grow
in racemes of burrs with as many as 10 burrs on one stem. Photo by C.
Weschcke._]

Apricot

If it were not that an apricot is a nut as well as a fruit, I should
hesitate to include a description of my work with it. But the aprico