68 THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES 



fruit pulp or flesh. The older and more feeble a 

 tree gets, the more its fruit is likely to return to 

 the wild state. Naturally, the tree-teachers have 

 a great variety of ways of applying the principles 

 of fruit culture. One may cross-breed by dusting 

 the pollen of one tree upon the flowers of another. 

 Some authorities maintain that peaches only reach 

 their best development when grafted on plum 

 branches. A third will stake his reputation on cut- 

 tings or the setting out of twigs. Whatever the 

 method, it should be pursued in love and patience. 



It is said that apples, pears, plums, cherries and 

 quinces stand grafting unusually well. A common 

 method is to insert two small scions or twigs in cor- 

 responding splits in the stump of a small branch 

 on the tree selected to become the new foster- 

 parent. The wound is carefully sealed with wax. 

 If both scions grow it is better to divert all nourish- 

 ment to one by cutting off the other. Budding is 

 carried on in the same way, except that buds in- 

 stead of twigs are used. A layer is a branch buried 

 in the ground but still attached to its tree. From 

 it new shoots take root. 



It is recognised that all teaching requires the 

 use of the intuitional and instinctively selective fac- 

 tors in a remarkable degree. This is especially true 

 of tree-teaching. Why is it that Luther Burbank 



