"I believe that grafted chestnuts growing in frost pockets are most likely to develop faulty unions; possibly frost injury to immature cells at the junction point may occur. Dr. Crane mentions a similar failure of unions between Persian and black walnuts on the Pacific Coast." Dr. Crane: "What cut did you use in grafting those chestnuts?" Stoke: "Modified cleft. In using Dr. Morris' bark slot graft I find it best to leave just a little of the cut face of the scion wedge above the top of the stock. This, with top of the stock cut sloping away from the scion, as illustrated, promotes quick healing with no 'die-back.'" Dr. Smith: "Is that top slanting?" Stoke: "Yes, I cut it slanting." Dr. MacDaniels: "That is a good graft for walnuts, too." Note: Mr. Stoke showed the group a picture of a mockernut tree in one of his fields which he had girdled to kill it. The tree lived four years and during those years the moisture had to go up through the inner wood. The substance of Mr. Stoke's talk, together with illustrations, may be found on page 99 of the 1946 report. Importance of Bud Selection in the Grafting of Nut Trees G. J. KORN, Kalamazoo, Michigan For many years the fruit growers have been improving the qualities of their fruits in several ways. The early pioneers of our country selected the best fruits from seedling trees. Chance seedlings that were found in pastures, by roadsides, or possibly in some out-of-the-way place, selected because of some special quality or group of qualities, still dominate our commercial plantings of fruits and nuts. Several of the apple varieties to be found in the market today are from these chance seedlings. In more recent years some of our agricultural colleges have been breeding fruits. Such breeding has given us several of our more promising named varieties. In this way a great improvement has been brought about in our fruits. Environment too appears to have played an important part in making changes in fruits and nuts. Nuts that are extremely hardy in the more northern latitudes, appear to have developed this hardiness gradually throughout many generations. Because of this quality we are now able to select varieties that are most likely to succeed in any particular locality. More rapid and satisfactory methods of improving our fruits and nuts have been brought about through breeding. This development of the science of plant breeding has made it possible to blend the good qualities of two seedlings into a new variety. Man does not have to follow nature's slow hit-and-miss method of developing more desirable qualities in her products. Controlled breeding, as brought about by man, produces faster and more satisfactory results. Man's improvement over nature has come about through his choice of the qualities to be blended, and his ability to bring together two parents from widely separated parts of the earth, if necessary.