ing than when the growing and bearing stages come. However, certain
nutritional disturbances appear early and the more vigorously the stock
is growing beforehand the better progress, of course, the grafts will
make when they are started. Whether or not they will start more readily
have I been unable to ascertain, but I have a bunch of little fellows
with a growth of only an inch or so, and so puny that I cannot account
for it in any other way than a lack of proper nutrition. Many of these
little trees, used as stock, are very old in comparison with their size
and they will probably be dwarfs all their lives. It is a question
whether many such trees should be grafted at all. Further observations
will have to be made to decide that point. Perhaps proper preparation
for a year or two would be beneficial.

This topic will largely be left for future discussion under another
subject, but it occurs to me that much might be accomplished by proper
attention to nutrition, especially when setting out trees for grafting,
selection of proper site, fertility of soil, cultivation to aid
absorption, etc. I have observed limbs of animals much smaller than
normal due to prohibited movements or lack of proper circulation, one
side of a tree developed out of proportion, eggs without hard shell due
to lack of calcium in the hen's diet, and I know of an old English
walnut tree that bears nuts with shells so thin as to be almost
negligible. I am told that at one time this tree bore a nut with a much
thicker shell. It has never had any attention and it is quite probable
that the lack of proper shell building elements causes the trouble. I
have grafted a few of these and I want to see what happens by furnishing
better nutrition.

Concerning scion wood, I have "ringed" some limbs, similar to the method
used sometimes in producing extra large fruit, in an effort to have the
scion store up a large amount of nutrition. This experiment I shall
continue in the spring.

This article is based entirely on my own ideas, observations and
conclusions in connection with old standing principles. As previously
stated, I claim nothing new and my only desire is to stimulate others to
make like observations.

Carrying out my conclusions in my work next spring I propose to cut the
tops out of all my trees, leaving a few lower limbs instead of the top
ones, allow them to start growth a little before grafting, pinch the tip
from that growth, and, in addition to