25th January, A. D. igoo. 



ESSAY 



BY 



ARTEIUR J. MARBLE, Worcester. 



Theme: — Budding and Grafting; and the influence of Stock 

 upon Scion and Fruit. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: — The subject for our 

 thought and consideration this afternoon — the art of Grafting 

 and Budding and their influence on Stock and Scion — is one of 

 great antiquity, and we can only begin to consider it in the 

 short time at our disposal. If I were guided by my own feel- 

 ings, I should commence on the latter part of the subject rather 

 than the first, but as I am told that there are some who are 

 looking to this talk to assist them in their knowledge of the 

 details of the art of grafting, I will begin with that part of the 

 subject and endeavor to be as brief as possible in presenting it. 



The art of grafting was known to the Chinese many centuries 

 ago, was spoken of by many of the classic writers, — Virgil who 

 speaks of a plum tree which bore apples after having been 

 grafted ; and Pliny who considered thunder injurious to trees 

 grafted on the white thorn. 



It is mentioned in the Bible, Romans xi. 17, where Paul says, 

 " And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a 

 wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them 

 partaketh of the root and fatness of the olive tree ; Boast not 

 against the branches. For if thou wert cut out of the olive 

 tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to 

 nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these which 

 be the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree." 



We do not do it in Paul's way nowadays, but rather graft 



