Show fmc fm c apples yea tree wa a H T bLon of illinois says in olden tims apple trees lived much I 1 longer conger were hardier and more vigorous than at the present time it was no uncommon thing for trees to live from fifty to a hundred years and sometimes longer of late years espo especially in the western ur es tern country it is seldom you seo see an orchard over thirty years of age and many give out in from ten to twenty years there is unquestionably a cause for this if we can find the cause we have taken the first step in learning how to propagate trees for the orchard any community or individual who uses poor stock to breed from will in time run ills his or their stock down so that they will lack vitality and become using a common expression a lot of scrubs again any farmer who uses poor seed because I 1 it is cheaper will in time run his cro crop p down so his yield will be less poor in quality less vigorous an and in tact act lie he is growing scrub grain the law of nature a holds good through tho the animal and vegetable creation in my opinion this is precisely what has been done in propagating apple trees you are growing a lot of scrubs fifty to seventy years ago trees were comparatively ively healthy sometimes wo heard of limbs or twigs being winter killed lulled but very seldom heard beard of trouble with the roots at the present time three fourths of all the ilie trees that dio die do so from root killing many years year sago ago horticulturists commenced studying how to got get hardier tops they selected scions from tile the best and hardiest handiest har diest trees they could find they cven ransacked biroc in ili search of hard scions to improve the tops until ala 4 lA 1 l sat atlant bast they have hav ebe been dairty ty success fullow ful now seldom you hear of tops bs be Ing killed with frost how has it been with the root have they taken the I 1 if same care as with the top to strong vigorous roots starting yea yeara ra i ago w with ith a hardy rootlet root it has gradual liy ly lost arol vigor and stirl vitality at |