84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



it is desirable to have an aflinity between the stock and scion, but 

 the subject is little understood. He believed that the character of 

 the cellular tissue of wood had an influence on the graft, and that 

 when the texture of the scion and stock did not agree they would 

 not succeed. There are some pears, such as the Cross, which seem 

 to kill every stock the}' are grafted on. He had had two vigorous 

 Do3'enne Boussock trees killed by grafting with Cross ; it seems to 

 poison them. At present we can onl}!- ascertain by experiment 

 whether a scion and stock are suited to each other, but the instances 

 mentioned arc sufficient to show that there is an influence of the 

 scion on the stock, as well as of the stock on the scion. The 

 Beurre Bosc i)ear makes long roots, but when grafted on other 

 kinds it produces a mass of fibrous roots. 



Mr. Strong remarked that the Cross pear would not kill the stock 

 if suckers were allowed to grow. 



President Gray said that there is no doubt that variegated pelar- 

 goniums, when grafted on plain kinds, sometimes cause the stock to 

 send out variegated shoots. The best plant of Marechal Niel that 

 he had ever seen was on the Lamarque stock, and was probably 

 double-worked. He alluded to Mr. Strong's statement that the 

 seedling plants of Cydonia Japonica are far more vigorous than 

 those raised from cuttings, and said that the Prince's stock for roses 

 was simply a Dog rose raised from seed, by which a new plant, 

 from top to bottom was obtained. Plants grafted on it grow well 

 for two or three j-ears, without suckers, and should be planted deep 

 enough for the graft to make its own roots. For two or three years 

 3^ou get better roses from the Manetti ; by that time they have 

 made their own roots. In England every rose is grafted on the 

 stock which experience has proved best adapted for it, and hence 

 in a lot of imported roses we find a variety of stocks. 



Mr. Wilder said, in reply to an inquiry by Mr. Strong, that the 

 Manetti rose had flowered and produced seed in his grounds. It 

 has a semi-double flower. 



President Gray alluded to Mr. Comley's statement at the pre- 

 vious meeting, that he had saved seed from a brier growing in a 

 swamp. He would prefer seed from a plant growing in a well 

 drained place, to raise stocks for budding roses on. 



Mr. Strong asked if any one had had experience in the use of 

 our native Dog rose as a stock. 



Mr. Wilder wished to know whether stocks procured in the fields 

 could be relied on as being all of the same variety. 



