68 On the JVature of the Varieties 



culturist or the amateur who is desh-ous of seeing it, would have 

 to purchase the whole work for the sake of this article. The 

 early decay of many of our fine pears, in peculiar situations, has 

 induced some writers to term them as " outcasts;" and have as- 

 signed as the reason, the decay of the parent plant, and, conse- 

 quently, according to the theory of Mr. Knight and of Mr. 

 Bucknal, as contained in the following essay, the decline of the 

 grafted trees must be looked upon as certain: the fruitful appear- 

 ance, however, of many of the sorts in the middle states of this 

 country, which have been long since condemned as imworthy of 

 cultivation, would seem to be sufficient evidence to controvert 

 this fact; but Mr. Knight has stated that a fruit will be produced 

 in perfection for some time, in a warm latitude, after it has ceased 

 to do so in a more northern one. Whether this theory is true 

 in all its parts we shall not now pretend to say: we have already 

 extended these remarks beyond our limits, but at a future time 

 shall resume them, at some length.] 



Some friends have requested that I would introduce another paper on 

 the nature of the valuable varieties of engrafted fruits, as they are of 

 opinion that the Essay in the seventeenth volume of the Transactions of 

 the Society is not sufficiently extended for a subject so important to the 

 fruit growers, and those interested in the productions of fruits. As a 

 proof of my willingness to make the orchardist as perfect as I can, I 

 beg you to present my compliments to the Society ,^ with the following 

 elucidations. 



This is a subject in rural economy which ought to be much better un- 

 derstood than it is, in order to enable the planters to judge of the sorts 

 proper to be planted, either as an article of pleasure, profit, or recreation j 

 as much of the credit of the plantation must arise from judiciously choos- 

 ing trees of the best, new, or middle-aged sorts, and not of the old worn- 

 out varieties, which latter cannot, in the planting of orchards in common 

 situations, ever form valuable trees, and must end in the disappointment 

 of the planter. 



Engrafted fruits, I have before said, and I now repeat, are not per- 

 manent. Every one of the least reflection must see that there is an es- 

 sential difference between the power and energy of a seedling plant, and 

 the tree which is to be raised from cuttings or elongations. The seed- 

 ling is endued with the energies of nature, while the graft or scion is 

 nothing more than a regular elongation, carried perhaps through the 

 several repeatings of the same variety; whereas the seed, from having 

 been placed in the earth, germinates and becomes a new plant, wherever 

 nature permits like to produce like in vegetation; as in the oak, beech, 

 and other mast-bearing trees. These latter trees, from each passing 

 through the state of seedlings, are perfectly continued, and endued with 

 the functions of forming perfect seeds for raising other plants by evolu- 

 tion, to the continuance of the like species. 



This is not the case with engrafted fruits. They are doomed by na- 

 ture to continue for a time, and then gradually decline, till at last the 

 variety is totally lost, and soon forgotten, unless recorded by tradition, 

 or in old publications. 



Reason, with which Providence has most bountifully blessed some of 

 our species, has enabled us, when we find a superior variety, to engraft 

 it on a wilding stock, or to raise plants from layers and cuttii>gs, or 



