MUTUAL INFLUENCE OF THE STOCK AND GRAFT. 145 



QUANTITY OF STOCK. 



Does the size or amount of the stock affect the extent of its influence 

 upon the graft? 



. A writer quoted in the Tropical Agriculturist (1884, p. 634), believes 

 that vigorous stocks have little influence on the vigor of the graft (except 

 at first) unless some of the top of the stock is left, and conversely that 

 dwarfing stocks have little permanent effect in increasing fruitfulness. 



E. A. Carriere states {Revue Horticole, 1883, page 390) that the 

 increased vigor imparted to a pear by double working on a vigorous 

 variety which has been grafted on the quince, is still maintained when the 

 intermediate graft is no more than two to four centimeters (about an inch) 

 in length. 



J. A. Warder says in his "American Pomology" (1867), page 86: 

 " There is a theory held by some orchardists that the further the junction 

 of the graft with the stock is removed from the root, the better will be the 

 fruit. This, however, is not well supported, and the circumstance when 

 observed is probably dependent upon other causes. " 



Charles Downing said: 1 " There is no doubt that in large trees top- 

 grafted, the stock has more or less influence, but when grafted or budded 

 on small stocks near the ground the influence, if any, would be little. " 



F. K. Phcenix of Illinois, in an article in the Western Rural for 1887, p. 

 212, on top-grafting choice apples on crab stocks to securd hardiness, says 

 that as the crab is the smaller tree it dwarfs the graft and its fruit; and 

 " the more of the crab body and branch below the graft, the more dwarfish 

 would we expect the growth of the graft and fruit to be. " 



F. W. Burbidge says: 2 "Mr. Pearson of Chilwell, after having 

 experimented with grape vines grafted on different stocks, came to the 

 conclusion that the stock, if completely headed off and not allowed to 

 make any leaf growth of its own, lost all influence on the scion in about 

 four years. " 



D. T. Fish says: 3 "Changes, if any, so affected would possibly be 

 gradual; the tendency to change, if any, would also be greatly influenced 

 by the extent of stock left, and probably also by such a fact as whether 

 any of the stocks were allowed to grow or not. With established habits as 

 to time of flowering, it is not likely that these would be suddenly changed 

 at the bidding of a dwarf stock a few inches in length, though some 

 features more in harmony with the nature of the stock might be gradually 

 acquired. Facts are very much wanted on this curious phase of vegeta- 

 ble life. " 



Again, Burbidge says: 4 "Do we not rob the stock of a deal of its 

 power to ameliorate the scion when we denude it of all its own leaves?" 



A. S. Fuller says in the Horticulturist, vol. XXIII, 1868, p. 76: "A 

 few years since I had an opportunity of witnessing a singular effect of 

 leaves on growth. An old Easter Beurre pear had been allowed to over- 

 bear and consequently had become very much enfeebled in growth, so 

 much so that it did not make an inch of growth upon any one of its 

 branches. One of the small branches was cut off and a scion from a Vicar 

 of Winkfield placed upon it. The graft made a growth of two feet the 



1 Transactions Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 18S0, page 118. 



2 The Garden, vol. X. 1876, page 350. 



3 The Garden, vol. XX, 1881, page 591. 



4 Propagation of Plants, page 63. 



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