Ontario Fruit Explorers

["Thomas Olenio" <tolenio@sentex.net>]

Hello all,

I am testing one of Wright's Recipes for rooting apples (page 312) of the  
1869 book;

http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;sid=7b1d1d9359b7216be2b85ad14b2b6a05;rgn=full%20text;idno=AJQ0894.0001.001;view=image;seq=0312

        Bearing of Apple-Trees.
        A horticulturist in Bohemia has a beautiful
        plantation of the best sort of apple-trees,
        which have neither sprung from seeds nor
        grafting. His plan is to take shoots from the
        choicest sorts, insert then in a potato, and
        plunge them into the ground, leaving but an
        inch or two of the shoot above the surface.
        The potato nourishes the shoot whilst it pushes
        out roots, and the shoot gradually springs up
        and becomes a beautiful tree, bearing the
        best of fruit, without requiring to be grafted.

I took a cutting of this years new growth, gave it a "V" point, dipped it  
in rooting hormone, and inserted it tightly into a potato.  Then I put  
cutting/potato combo in a pot of course damp sand.  All leaves were  
removed except for one.

I assume the potato will keep the rooting tip evenly moist, and with luck,  
the potato will not die until the cutting is rooted.

I realize this is air-layering with a twist, but it may prove useful (or  
not).

Regards,
Tom
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