56 



By the end of the season, the bud showed by its plumpness that it had 

 been adopted and nourished by its foster parent, and to all appearances 

 it was tpuch the same as any of the other buds, except for ^ 



the scar around it showing- where it had been inserted. 



" Early next spring, however, each seedling tree was 

 cut off just above the Mcintosh bud, which was thus sud- 

 denly given the responsibilty of making a new top for the 

 tree, and that is just what each little Mcintosh bud did. 

 In three years, each had made a little tree, big enough to 

 be sold for transplanting; and that year they were all taken 

 up and sent to the purchasers throughout the country." 



" In Grandpa's orchard you may have noticed that the 

 tree which bears the Mcintosh apples bears also a few yellow 

 apples." " Yes, Talman Sweets", said Gordon. "Well, that 

 tree once bore all Talmans ; but one spring Grandpa cut off ^,^ 

 most of its branches and grafted into the stubs left a few no. 7o. The 

 scions, or bits of twigs, from a Mcintosh tree. These scions adopted bud 

 united with the growing part of the Talman tree, and pro- around it. 

 duced large branches which bear the Mcintosh apples, while 

 the branches which were not grafted still bear Talman Sweet apples." 



" By grafting into a large bearing tree in this way. Grandpa's tree 

 was bearing Mcintosh apples in three or four years ; whereas our tree, 

 being a young one, was nearly twice that old before it had apples on it." 



" From the story of this particular apple, you will have learned how 

 new varieties of fruits sometimes originate. Varieties found in this way 



r^ 



No. 71. Taken from the nursery and 

 bundled for shipping'. 



No. 



Old enough to begin bear- 

 ing. 



IIow the grafting 

 was done. 



are said to be of chance origin. All varieties, however, do not originate 

 by chance. Some are the result of careful and patient work on the part 

 of men who not only gather and plant the seed, but contrive to have 

 the new kind combine the good qualities of the two other varieties. It 

 you will remind me of it next spring, when the trees are in bloom, I will 

 show you how this may be done." 



