peach block, and find the production quite variable on
the different trees. I am aiming at top-working most of these with the
named varieties, beginning this year. At present I can't answer the
question of seedlings vs grafted trees. I have been advising people who
are interested in trying them in Tennessee that _for their first
planting_ (to test the adaptability of their locations) they can get the
seedlings generally quite a bit cheaper than the grafted trees. With the
experience we have had over the State and the high mortality of trees,
both grafted and seedling--killing of the tops and in some cases the
whole tree--the seedling might be best economically _to begin their_
experimenting with. I am _not recommending_ that anyone plant seedlings
commercially, but just in a small way for trial. They are well worth a
trial anywhere peaches are doing well. When we find a _suitable site_,
then is the time to think about using the more expensive grafted trees.

Pres. Davidson: I just want to give a little bit of my experience along
that line. Way back in 1934 I planted a few seeds that I got from Amelia
Riehl. They were nuts of the Riehl hybrids. [Ed. note: Mostly
American--European crosses.] She named one Dan Patch and another
Gibbons. They are now about 13 years old. Each of them is bearing burs
this year. They have borne burs, a few of them, in the past, but no
nuts. So far in 1948, the burs that have fallen to the ground, of
course, have no nuts, but whether the burs that are still on the trees
have nuts I don't know. I want to know whether those trees are
normal---whether a hybrid of that kind is likely to be sterile or not.
That's another matter that might be discussed. Anyhow, you are taking a
chance, no question about that, when you plant seedlings.

Mr. Stoke: Mr. Chairman, if you will pardon me for saying one more word,
here is a suggestion I will make. Now you can check for yourself. The
whole thing hinges on whether we can get _permanent_ grafts on the tree
and get the characteristics in the grafted tree that the parent has--in
the good selected tree. Now you take the reports sent us by Mr. Hemming;
you take the reports of the station at Albany--of individual trees in
those plots. You take the worst trees and you will find they are nothing
but boarders. You take the best and you will find they are very
profitable. You take the average and it will fall somewhere in between.

Now, why keep a lot of boarders tha