Dwarf Apples. 385 



that once exerted bj the forbidden fruit of the Garden of 

 Eden. 



Three forms of apples which are suitable for stocks are men- 

 tioned by Philip Miller in his Gardener's Dictionary.* They are 

 all included under Malus ptmiila. They are as follows: 



" The Crab [Malus sylvestris, acido fructo albo, Tourn.], which is 

 the first sort here mentioned, has been general!}' esteemed as the 

 best stock for grafting- apples upon, being very hardy, and of 

 long duration; but of late years there have been few persons who 

 have been curious enough to raise these stocks, having commonly 

 sown the kernels of all sorts of cider apples for stocks without 

 distinction, as these are much easier to procure than the other; 

 so the gardeners generally call all those crabs, which are pro- 

 duced from the kernel, and have not been grafted; but were the 

 kernels of the crabs sown, I should prefer those for stocks; be- 

 cause they are never so luxuriant in their growth, as those from 

 apple-kernels; and they will continue longer sound; besides, these 

 will preserve some of the best sorts of apples in their true size, 

 color and flavor; whereas the other free-stocks produce larger 

 fruit, which are not so well tasted, nor will they keep so long. 



" The Paradise-apple hath, of late years, greatly obtained for 

 stocks to graft or bud upon ; but these are not of long duration ; 

 nor will the trees grafted upon them ever grow to any size, unless 

 they are planted so low as that the Cyon may strike root into the 

 ground, w^hen it will be equal to no stock; for the graft will draw 

 its nourishment from the ground, so that it is only by way of 

 curiosity, or for very small gardens, that these stocks are proper, 

 since there can never be expected any considerable quantity of 

 fruit from such trees. 



" These trees have been much more esteemed in France, where 

 they were frequently brought to the table in the pots growing 

 with their fruit upon thtem; but this being only a curiosity, it 

 never obtained much in England; so that the gardeners do not 

 propagate many of them here at present. 



" There is another apple which is called the Dutch Paradise- 

 apple, much cultivated in the nurseries, for grafting apples upon 

 in order to have them dwarfs ; and these will not decay or canker 



*Sixth edition, 1752. 



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