82 TKANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



And I think he is right so far as he goes, viz : The imperfectly 

 completed union of cion and stock invariably produces a hardy tree, 

 or in other words the cion prevails, but in the case where the union 

 is complete, viz : where the cion is compelled to draw all its sus- 

 tenance through the stock, it is or may be modified by the stock so far 

 as to produce early ripening of the wood, but never far enough to 

 cause the tree to produce apples like the stock. 



The influence of cion on stock is more marked or else incalcu- 

 ably less, for we see whole blocks of trees in nursery grafted on pro- 

 miscuous roots, and in every case the trees are the same, and if you 

 dig up the tree you find a similarity of root throughout the block. 

 Every practical nurseryman dreads to be compelled to box a lot of 

 Hyslop crab trees because he knows he will have a lot of stiff, stub- 

 born, branching roots, although grafted on cider-mill seedlings. 



How far this modification of root goes in trees, where the root 

 and stock are entire, a certain distance above the ground, T am not 

 as well informed as where the line is not so plainly marked; but as 

 the inner part of the tree is practically dead, or the growth is exas- 

 mose, and the roots bring up the sap, which is acted upon through 

 bark and leaf by the atmosphere, and again returned to the roots 

 in a modified manner, it is but probable that the root is affected simi- 

 larly; but although perhaps largely modified, it is never entirely 

 changed, as is shown by the fact that wherever a sprout starts from 

 below the point of union, it is always like the parent. In fact the 

 root, in root grafting, is only a starter, and the cion roots of itself 

 and becomes entirely like cion. 



To recapitulate : the stock, if entire, will dwarf or change the 

 habit and size somewhat, perhaps, but never changes the fruit. Ap- 

 ples will be sweet, although budded on sour apple. Pear cions will 

 produce pears on quince or apple stock, and may modify in hardi- 

 ness, but where the union is imperfect, such as root-grafting, where 

 the cion roots, I think the result nominal or none. I know that 

 Duchess, that have been grafted on promiscuous roots for twenty- 

 five years, are hardy; what it would be in twenty-five hundred years, 

 I have never experienced. And effect of cion on stock is possibly to 

 increase growth and some other characteristics; but I hardly think 

 many of you will ever see so marked an effect as is reported from the 

 aesthetical city of Boston, where it is purported that a young lady 

 got severely burned on her arm, and strips of live, healthy skin were 

 taken from her lover's arm and grafted over the burned place on her 

 arm, and after a complete recovery of her arm was affected, it was 

 utterly impossible for her to resist putting that arm around her 

 lover at every available opportunity. 



DISCUSSION. 



Dr. A. G. Humphrey — The May cherry, grafted on Mahaleb 

 stocks, produces much less fruit than when grafted on Morello stock, 



