THE SECRETARY'S rO]{TFOIJO. 451 



SO eternal, the joy of imiii, the comfort of all living creatures, the glory of the 

 earth — they arc but tlie monuments of those poor leaves that ilit faintly past us 

 as" they do. Let them not pass Avithout our understanding tlicir last counsel 

 and example — that we also, careless of monument by the grave, may build it in 

 the world — monument by which men may be taught to remember not where we 

 died, but where we lived. — Rushin. 



INFLUENCE OF STOCK OX GRAFT. 



A curious and very conclusive instance, showing the effect of the graft upon 

 the stock, occurred in one of my greenhouses the present season. Last Decem- 

 ber, my gardener selected a stock of Abutilon Boulo de Neige, a well known 

 variety with white flowers and green leaves which have never shown any signs 

 of variegation, and after trimming off the side branches, inserted a graft at 

 the height of four feet, of Abutilon Mesopotamicum variegatum. This latter 

 variety is of trailing or weeping habit, and has its foliage intensely variegated 

 with different shades of mottled green and yellow. The graft grew, and re- 

 tains all its peculiarities of growth and variegation ; the stock has also put forth 

 new side shoots all along its length of four feet below the graft, and nearly 

 all the leaves on these shoots growing from the Boulo de Neige, are marked 

 with clear and distinct variegations of golden yellow, which can only be attribu- 

 ted to the influence of the graft above. 



Upon the other side of the question, I will also give an instance of my expe- 

 rience. Two roses were growing near each other ; one a variety with very dark 

 crimson, but not well-formed flowers. The other a light blush rose, finely 

 formed, but of a liglit and undecided color. From the latter variety I inserted 

 buds into the growing shoots of the first named, with this result : The buds 

 grew and retained all their habits of growth and foliage as well as the form of 

 the flowers ; but the color, instead of the light and uncertain blush, was of a 

 rich, dark crimson ; nearly, but not quite as dark as the bloom of the stock 

 upon which it was budded". Geo. W. Campbell. 



PEAR TREES CHANGING THEIR FRUIT. 



The Scientific American relates the following experience for the study of 

 pear culturists : 



A curious instance of natural mingling of varieties recently came under our 

 notice, which offers a valuable hint to fruit growers. In an enclosure some 50 

 feet wide by 150 feet long was set out, about nine years ago, a number of pear 

 trees. Several varieties were included, notably the Bartlett, Sheldon, Flemish 

 Beauty, and other fine varieties, together with three or four trees which bore 

 coarse, late-ripening, winter pears, scarely fit for anything but cooking pur- 

 poses. All the trees bore abundantly ; and until the last two years the pears 

 of each variety showed no change. Ilecently, however, and in a more marked 

 degree during last summer than during 1875, it was found that all the fine 



