PROPAGATION I/ 



swer all purposes. A whole orchard of grafted 

 Baldwin trees are practically alike, or a whole 

 block of budded Green Gage plums. 



However, this method of reproduction is not ab- 

 solutely perfect, because the stock on which the 

 cions are grafted sometimes exerts a perceptible 

 influence on the tree. These influences, though 

 comparatively slight, are sometimes of practical im- 

 portance. They are so curious and interesting that 

 they have always been given careful study by hor- 

 ticulturists, who, in fact, have many times over- 

 emphasized their practical importance. Without 

 making this mistake of magnifying the influence of 

 the stock upon the cion, let us look briefly at the 

 subject to see what these influences are. 



The most important one is dwarfing. A small, 

 slow-growing stock will make the tree smaller than 

 it would be on a vigorous, fast-growing stock. This 

 is the method by which dwarf trees are propagated. 

 The Paradise apple, for example, is a very slow- 

 growing variety, and a Baldwin cion grafted upon 

 it will make a comparatively dwarf tree. 



The habit of growth is sometimes greatly modi- 

 fied by the stock. The influence of the stock some- 

 times makes the tree more spreading, sometimes 

 more upright. These influences are usually slight 

 and seldom of any practical importance. 



The stock sometimes brings trees into earlier 

 bearing or, conversely, delays the bearing period. 

 Dwarf stocks generally make trees bear earlier. In 

 this instance, the influence has some practical value. 



The stock may also influence the period at which 

 the fruit matures. Varieties grafted on roots or 

 stems of early ripening sorts will commonly ripen 

 at an earlier period under such influence. No prac- 



