268 On the Cultivation and 



from their more kindly appearance and habit. Haply, they 

 might turn out improvements of the original ; and, elated with 

 his success, would repeat his experiment, but in succeeding 

 trials, he might not be so fortunate ; and would be driven by 

 his wishes, to devise some other scheme to extend or propagate 

 his already acquired favourite fruit. In this pursuit he might, 

 perhaps, have noticed, that parts of plants severed from the 

 parent, if placed by accident in the ground, and in a suitable 

 situation, would strike root, grow, and become a tree, in all 

 respects like that which produced it: — or he might observe, 

 (which is a circumstance more frequently seen) that branches 

 of trees, partly buried in the soil, would become trees after a 

 time, independent entirely of their original. On these circum- 

 stances, our modern custom of propagation by cuttings and 

 layering, have undoubtedly originated ; and no doubt our pri- 

 mitive gardener, witnessing those instances of reproduction, 

 would be insensibly led to the knowledge of some of the proper- 

 ties of plants, and soon would arrive at the cognizance, that 

 some were individ,ual essences, and that others were a congeries 

 of essences, distinct in themselves and from each other, and 

 divisible without destruction to each other. 



When, however, with this slender stock of knowledge, and 

 means of propagation, any of these processes became impracti- 

 cable, or inconvenient, he would be urged on to other expedients 

 for the extension and perpetuation of his improved fruits ; — in 

 the course of time and experience, he, or some of his juniors, 

 in the same pursuit in succeeding generations perhaps, might 

 hit upon the idea and practice of grafting. This discovery 

 would be considered as a prodigy, as it would be productive of 

 unbounded facilities in the propagation and distribution of im- 

 proved fruits ; and would lead to most beneficial results, in 

 every department, and for every object of the pomologist's art. 



The practice of grafting is of great antiquity ; but the exact 

 period of time or place when it was first performed, is un- 

 known : — for though gardens have been described, both by 

 sacred and profane writers of the earliest ages ; and though they 

 have been the theme of kings, and priests, and prophets, as well 

 as poets ; — as paradise — Hesperides — and Paphian bowers ; yet 

 of grafting, the earliest annals are silent. It appears, however, 



