GRAFTING AND BUDDING 305 



SAP-HYBRIDISM 



Nevertheless, I have had at least one experi- 

 ence in the course of years of practice in grafting 

 that seems to demonstrate the possibility of the 

 transfer from cion to stock of qualities that 

 transform in a very tangible degree the essential 

 characteristics of the plant. 



I refer to a case in which the twig of a purple- 

 leaved plum (Prunus Pisardi) that I received 

 from France was grafted on an old Kelsey 

 plum tree which stood just at the corner of 

 the vine-covered cottage on my old place in 

 Santa Rosa. 



The graft was made in the season of 1893. I 

 was exceedingly anxious to cross this new and 

 interesting importation with some other plums, 

 so watched it very carefully. But much to my 

 disappointment, no blossom or signs of blossom 

 appeared during the year. So there was no pos- 

 sibility of making such an experiment as I 

 desired. 



Imagine then my astonishment when from a 

 quantity of seeds gathered from the Kelsey tree 

 there grew next season, among other seedlings, 

 one with deep purple leaves. This strange seed- 

 ling proved to be a thoroughly well-balanced 

 cross between the original purple-leaved imported 



