PROPAGATION BY BUDDING, GRAFTING ETC. 21 



originating by Prof. Van Mons in this way, it is well known pro- 

 duces its fruit often in the nursery at two years from the bud ; while 

 the Dix, a seedling from we know not what variety, requires twelve 

 or fifteen years. This process however, if taken, as by Van Mons, 

 from the commencement, i.e., a wildling, would require a life-time ; 

 but our people have all around them seedlings whicTi at an early age 

 are producing fruit ; if, therefore, seed be taken from the best of 

 them, and the choicest again selected, it is not probable that^ more 

 than ten years would elapse to produce something very superior. 



On the other hand, the process of Mr. Knight, of producing by 

 crossing, gives the grower the choice of selecting and growing to 

 whatever form, size or character he may desire, and this with an 

 almost absolute certainty of success. This process being fully 

 described by Thomas in his Fruit Culturist, we extract therefrom : 



" A familiar instance of cross-impregnation in plants occurs in the 

 Indian corn. The pistillate or seed-bearing flowers covering the 

 young ear, are remotely situated on the plant from the staminate or 

 fertilizing flowers on the summits, or tassels. Hence, from this re- 

 mote position, the pollen or fertilizing dust from the summits may 

 not certainly fall on the ear ; and if different sorts grow near, a mix- 

 ture will probably result. It is well known to farmers, that if dif- 

 ferent sorts, as white, yellow, and purple, are planted in the same 

 field ; or, if common and sweet corn are planted together, each sort 

 no longer remains distinct, but each ear, the second year, is speckled 

 with a promiscuous assemblage of white, yellow, and purple, and of 

 common and sweet corn, of various grades. In fruit trees, the 

 stamens and pistils are in the same flower, and the chances of acci- 

 dental mixture from other tree^, become very small, unless aflfected 

 by insects, which becoming thickly dusted with powder from ^ one 

 flower, plunge into the recesses of another, and affect a cross-fertiliza- 

 tion. Where many varieties grow in one garden, in close proximity, 

 cases of promiscuous intermixture are constantly occurring, which can 

 be developed only by raising fruit from the seedlings. 



In the annexed figure of the pear blossom (fig. 1), the five 



central organs a, are the pistils; the 



upper extremity of each is the stiff ma. The 



surrounding thread-like organs, 6, are the 



stamens, surmounted by the anthers. The 



anthers are little bags or cases filled with 



the pollen or fertilizing dust. When the 



flowers open, the anthers burst, and dis- 



p. ^ charge the pollen on the stigma, which 



^' ■ operates on the embryo fruit at its base. 



The production of new varieties is greatly facilitated by cross-im 



pregnation, or by fertilizing the pistil of one variety Mith the pollen 



of another. T'lis wns •performed with great success by Knight. 



