by agricultural institutions, either Federal or State. We are
all interested and concerned with stocks, and I think a large part of
our trouble with grafting chestnuts is a stock-scion relationship.

We have some top-worked trees 13 years old that are just as healthy,
just as normal as they can be. We have some top-worked trees of various
ages below that. The graft-union is good; they are just as healthy and
continue to be as productive and vigorous as the parent tree. Where
there is incompatibility we run into difficulties very shortly. To a
large extent I think we are involved with two problems in the trouble
with incompatibility, or perhaps I should say the dying, of grafted
trees. One is a stock-scion relationship, the other a mechanical
problem.

I think there are these two types of incompatibilities. Now, as to the
mechanical part--that can be improved through developing the art of
grafting or budding, whichever works out best. The other will require
quite a lot of study, perhaps the development of certain strains of the
root stocks for certain scion varieties.

I have made this suggestion to two or three. I have started the work
myself by putting out with friends two or three or four trees. After
they get up to a size where I can top-work them, I will top-work with
two varieties. Perhaps I will put Nanking and Kuling on two trees at one
particular place. Two or three miles away I will put Kuling and Meiling
on two others. At another place I will put Nanking and Meiling. I will
get reciprocal pollination, because the chestnut is necessarily
cross-pollinating.[15] I can then plant seedlings from both parents,
each pollinated by the other. Then by grafting those varieties onto
those seedlings stocks I can find out whether there is any reason to go
into the work of developing seed orchards of two varieties whereby
Meiling pollinated by Kuling may produce the best, most vigorous, most
uniform seedlings on which Kuling can be propagated. And by propagating
Kuling on such seedlings--the seedlings of such inheritance--we may get
100 per cent of good grafts.

The industry needs a lot of help, and I think it is a matter of time
until those things are worked out, but it is going to take time and
money and plenty of good effort to work out that problem. I think it
probably should be worked out.

Mr. Bush: I don't like the word "incompatibility", and I hardly believe
in it, and I presume most of you know that. I have Ch