THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 179 



samples of fruit from the trees with which, as a boy, I was well acquainted, 

 and as I have them before me now in the best possible condition, I am almost 

 tempted to ask, what shall I be required to believe next? Living in a county 

 noted for its apple orchards, I occasionally meet with men who like to be 

 thought well informed upon such matters, — that are staunch believers in the 

 dying out theory, — and who do not scruple to act upon their faith by discarding 

 particular varieties of the apple from the orchards which are said to die out after 

 a certain time. Without saying they were wrong in so doing, I challenge them 

 to adduce evidence sufficiently conclusive to prove that they are acting rightly. 

 The condition of many orchards in Somerset is such that I am willing to admit 

 that a casual observer might easily be led to believe in the dying out theory, for 

 they are in a bad condition. But it is not right that those who neglect their 

 orchards, and loudly complain of their unproductive condition, should shelter 

 themselves behind a theory entirely unsupported by facts. 



Taking a broader view of the subject, it must be patent to those who go 

 about the world with their eyes open, that all those varieties of the apple and 

 pear which, thirty years ago, were said to be nearly worn out, are still to be 

 found as productive as ever they were. At the present moment we have in the 

 fruit-room samples of Ribston Pippin apple as fine as one could wish to see ; 

 the Golden Pippin apples, from old trees, are still as satisfactory as ever ; the 

 old Forge apple is another variety which still holds its own against all comers 

 for productiveness. As these facts are undisputable, I cannot understand w T hat 

 sound arguments in favor of the wearing-out theory can be brought forward. 

 That the varieties I have named, in common with all other varieties of the 

 pear and apple, are to be found in an unsatisfactory condition in some places I 

 know well. But the fact does not afford any sufficient proof that their days 

 are numbered, but it does show that when we select these unhealthy trees for 

 purposes of propogation we act very unwisely. There can be no doubt that 

 when we take scions from trees full of canker, and otherwise unfit for propaga- 

 gation, we carry the disease on a stage farther. In other words, we propagate 

 the disease, and blame the trees and not ourselves, and then hunt up all man- 

 ner of excuses for the unsatisfactory condition of the trees. 



I do not pretend to have dealt with all the points bearing upon this question, 

 for I have not the time to do so, but I have said enough to show that if we 

 allow our minds to be influenced by such an untenable theory as that of wear- 

 ing out, we are liable to lose from cultivation valuable fruit simply because 

 people are afraid to plant. We have only to exercise a fair amount of care in 

 selecting the scions for propagation to carry on these fruits to the end of all 

 time. If cultivators select grafts at random, and propagate without exercising 

 due care, canker and premature decay of the young trees will follow as a 

 natural consequence ; but a perfectly healthy scion, united to a stock equally 

 healthy, will make a tree that will live to a ripe old age, and supply healthy 

 scions for propagating purposes. Unquestionably the scion inherits the quali- 

 ties of the parent, either good or bad, according to the condition of the tree at 

 the time it is taken ; therefore, take scions from healthy trees, put them upon 

 vigorous stocks, and make your mind easy as to their well-doing. — Gardener s 

 Magazine. 



