MUTUAL INFLUENCE OP THE STOCK AND GRAFT. 137 



A. J. Downing, in his "Fruits and Fruit Trees of America" (1869), 

 page 29, says that in the region where the Beach plum (Primus maritima) 

 grows, the cultivated plums do better grafted upon that species than upon 

 their own roots. The same author says: "M. Floss, a Prussian 

 gardener, succeeded in growing fine pears in very sandy soils where it was 

 nearly impossible to raise them before by grafting them on the mountain 

 ash, a nearly related tree which thrives on the driest, lightest soil. " 



McIntosh states 1 that: "When the soil is damp and subject to be 

 overflowed occasionally with water, such as meadows by river-sides, etc., 

 the quince will be found the best stock for the pear; whereas, in dry soils 

 it would be the very worst. Again, the white beam-tree is the best stock 

 for pear in chalky soils; in such soils even the pear stock would scarcely 

 live. " A French writer adds 2 that the hawthorn grows on calcareous soil 

 too dry for the pear or quince, and that on such a soil it forms a better 

 stock for the pear than either of these. 



J. L. Budd of Iowa, says: 3 "The Gros Pomier apple does remarkably 

 well on sandy land where many sorts utterly fail. Working the sorts that 

 fail on sand on this stock seems to meet with success. " Again, the 

 Tetofsky does well on low, wet prairie land where most other sorts fail, 

 and experience has shown an advantage in using it as a stock on such 

 soils. " 



Although it is clear that plants may be made to grow on unfavorable soils 

 by being grafted on others which are adapted to such soils, there is some 

 evidence that the graft alters the conditions of nutrition of the stock, not 

 only so as to affect its vigor of growth and duration of life as already shown, 

 but also so as to make it more exacting as to the soil required. An 

 unknown writer states that although the peach does comparatively well on 

 the black plum, yet on certain soils where the plum is the only fruit tree 

 that succeeds it also fails when the peach is grafted upon it. 



M. Sahut of France states* that the grafting of the cultivated varieties 

 of pear on the common quince renders the roots of the quince more 

 particular as to the nature of the soil. They then require a soil which is 

 unusually cool and fertile, while when not grafted, or when grafted on the 

 Portugal quince, the common quince is longer lived and remains a long 

 time in a good condition even in a soil which is much less fertile and cool. 



V 



SPLIT GRAFTS. 



The history of the changes produced by grafting would be incomplete 

 without some account of the alleged production of graft-hybrids by the 

 union of the halves of two different scions. The case of the apple known 

 as Sweet-and-Sour, said to have been produced in this manner, has 

 already been noticed. 



C. Gr. Pringle of Vermont says: 5 "Occasionally there springs from 

 the point of junction of the scion with the stock a branch whose leaves, 

 flowers, and fruit are intermediate in character between those of the two ; 

 and sometimes skillful gardeners unite sections of different tubers or 

 bulbs, or even branches, and see them blend together in growth and pro- 

 duce mottled flowers or fruits." 



1 Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1S69) , page 29. 



2 Book of the Garden, vol. II, page 325. 



3 Revue Horticole, 1886, p. 553. 



4 Garden and Forest, 1890, page 79. 



5 Country Gentleman, 1670, p, 182. 



18 



