COMRADES OF THE PLANT WORLD 
cutting is made to form a bodily union with 
some plant of an entirely dissimilar species. 
In some cases, the intruder sends roots into 
the tissue of its host like a true dependent. 
Grafts of Prickly Pears, Mexican Grapevines 
and Agaves put forth food-suckers in the soft 
flesh of the Giant Cactus or the Barrel Cactus 
much as they would do if planted in the earth. 
There is here no true diffusive union of part- 
ners but mere absorption on the part of the in- 
vader. 
Even grafting of allied species of Grapes 
sometimes results in the young plants sending 
roots through the tissues of the scion, eventually 
reaching the earth by way of the body of the 
host. In such cases, the parasite also draws 
nutriment from its messmate by means of a 
superior osmotic pressure. 
Almost everything lies in the point of view. 
No man, no animal, no plant is so debased and 
degraded that it does not radiate some little 
measure of helpfulness. If “all things work 
together for good,” even that member of a plant 
union which seems to act upon that inverted 
principle of “all coming in and nothing going 
[67] 
