1913] on Investigations at the Woburn Fruit Farm 647 



which makes it all tlie more improbable that a pip will give rise 

 to a tree bearing fruit like that of the mother-tree, is that in many- 

 cases the female portion of the flower cannot be fertilized except by 

 pollen from a tree of a different variety. Why this is so, we do not 

 yet know, but the result is that generally we must have two distinct 

 varieties blended in the seeds of our cultivated fruits. A further 

 result of practical importance is that to get good fruit crops we must, 

 as a rule, have several different varieties planted in the same planta- 

 tion. Failure of crops is often due to the neglect of this factor. 



As it is impossible to reproduce a fruit-tree of any given variety 

 from seed, other methods of multiplication must be adopted, namely, 

 budding or grafting. A young tree of a similar character is taken 

 (the stock), and in the one case a bud, or in the other case a twig 

 (scion) from the tree to be propagated is united with the stem of 

 the stock. [Slides shown.] All the growth arising from this bud, 

 or buds, is similar to that of the tree from which it was taken ; the 

 stock acts as little else than a channel for conveying nourishment 

 to the ingrafted buds. Every existing tree of any particular variety 

 of fruit is thus part of the one individual of the variety which was 

 first raised. 



Though a Ribston tree, for instance, will always bear Ribston 

 pippins, and exhibit the peculiarities of growth of the original 

 Ribston tree, independent of the stock on to which it has been 

 grafted, yet this stock does exert a certain influence on the character 

 of the growth of scion. For apples we use two classes of stocks ; 

 the one, the crab stock, is obtained by sowing the seeds of crab 

 apples, and is characterized by forming a scanty number of roots, 

 but these are stout, and have a tendency to obtain deep hold of the 

 ground ; the other, the paradise stock, is derived from a French 

 variety of apple, and forms a much larger number of roots, but 

 smaller, and tending to spread out near the surface of the ground. 

 [Slides shown.] The grafted tree partakes of the character of the 

 roots of the stock ; on the paradise stock it becomes more spreading 

 in its habit, and grows less vigorously than on the crab stock [SHdes 

 shown], and, whilst the former is more suitable for growing trees in 

 the bush form, the crab stock is more suited for standard trees. 

 [Slides shown.] It may also be mentioned that trees on the paradise 

 stock come into bearing sooner than those on the crab stock, but 

 do not live so long. 



In the case of pears, the corresponding stocks are : the pear stock 

 for standard trees, and the quince stock for bush trees. [Slides 

 shown.] 



It must be remembered, however, that the effect of the stock on 

 the growth of a tree is a subsidiary matter ; the characteristics of 

 the growth are mainly dependent on the nature of the scion. [SUdes 

 shown.] 



Though different stocks are suitable for standard and bush trees. 

 Vol. XX. (No. 107) 2 x 



