420 GRAFT-HYBRIDS. Chap. XL 



Banksian rose; and from the much enlarged point of junction, 

 whence the Devoniensis and Banksian still continued to grow, a 

 third branch issued, which was neither pure Banksian nor pure 

 Devoniensis, but partook of the character of both; the flowers 

 resembled, but were superior in character to those of the variety 

 called Laiwtrque (one of the Noisettes), while the shoots were similar 

 in their manner of growth to those of the Banksian rose, with the 

 exception that the longer and more robust shoots were furnished 

 with prickles. This rose was exhibited before the Floral Committee 

 of the Horticultural Society of London. Dr. Lindley examined it 

 and concluded that it had certainly been produced by the mingling 

 of R. banksice with some rose like B. devoniensis, " for while it was 

 very greatly increased in vigour and in size of all the parts, the 

 leaves were half-way between a Banksian and Tea-scented rose." 

 It appears that rose-growers were previously aware that the Banksian 

 rose sometimes affects other roses. As Mr. Poynter's new variety is 

 intermediate in its fruit and foliage between the stock and scion, 

 and as it arose from the point of junction between the two, it is very 

 improbable that it owes its origin to mere bud-variation, indepen- 

 dently of the mutual influence of the stock and scion. 



Lastly, with respect to potatoes. Mr. R. Trail stated in 1867 

 before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh (and has since given me 

 fuller information), that several years ago he cut about sixty blue 

 and white potatoes into halves through the eyes or buds, and then 

 carefully joined them, destroying at the same time the other eyes. 

 Some of these united tubers produced white, and others blue tubers ; 

 some, however, produced tubers partly white and partly blue; 

 and the tubers from about four or five were regularly mottled with 

 the two colours. In these latter cases we may conclude that a stem 

 had been formed by the union of the bisected buds, that is, by graft- 

 hybridisation. 



In the 'Botanische Zeitung' (May 16, 1868), Professor Hildebrand 

 gives an account with a coloured figure, of his experiments on two 

 varieties which were found during the same season to be constant 

 in character, namely, a somewhat elongated rough-skinned red potato 

 and a rounded smooth white one. He inserted buds reciprocally into 

 both kinds, destroying the other buds. He thus raised two plants, 

 and each of these produced a tuber intermediate in character 

 between the two parent-forms. That from the red bud grafted 

 into the white tuber, was at one end red and rough, as the whole 

 tuber ought to have been if not affected ; in the middle it was 

 smooth with red stripes, and at the other end smooth and altogether 

 white like that of the stock. 



Mr. Taylor, who had received several accounts of potatoes having 

 been grafted by wedge-shaped pieces of one variety inserted into 

 another, though sceptical on the subject, made twenty-four experi- 

 ments which he described in detail before the Horticultural Society. 109 



lw See ' Gard. Chron.,* 1869, p. 220. 



