1900.] essays. 63 



as shown l>y the difference of roots with a difference in the buds 

 used, proves that the stock in turn must influence the scion and 

 probably the fruit. I know now that I am taking a position 

 that all of you will not agree with. But there are reasons for 

 it, based upon facts which cannot be explained satisfactorily in 

 any way but by granting some degree of stock influence upon 

 scion and fruit. On the same soil (clay), with the same ex- 

 posure and, so far as the most careful examination can deter- 

 mine, under the same conditions except one, stand two Baldwin 

 apple trees. Both trees arc vigorous and healthy, standing 

 about twenty-five feet apart. One of these Baldwin trees bears 

 an apple of dark wine color, some of them almost black ; the 

 other bears a very light colored apple, some of them almost 

 white. Now, what condition do we find that may or can explain 

 reasonably this variation. It may be suggested that one tree 

 has more sunshine than the other, hence the deeper color. We 

 carefully examine the location of the two trees and find that, so 

 far as we can judge, there is no difference in the ration of sun- 

 light for each tree, or if a trifle, it is against the tree of the deep 

 red apples, instead of for it, and so we examine into all of the 

 other conditions of soil, tillage, &c, which surround the two 

 trees and find no difference discernable to the human senses. 

 But at the last we come to one great and certain difference, the 

 buds which were grafted on to the seedlings which produced 

 these trees, must have been grafted on two different stocks, 

 for in a thousand seedlings the chances are you will find no two 

 alike. 



Here then we have a sure and certain difference in conditions, 

 which may be the reason for the difference in the fruit, the only 

 reason founded on known fact, all other reasons being guess 

 work, and not capable of being demonstrated. If you wish 

 further proof, graft a scion of the Bartlett pear into the Baldwin 

 and at the same time another into the quince. Repeat these 

 operations a thousand times each and you will find uniformly 

 the scions grafted on the quince bear good fruit, while if you 

 succeed in making: the scions grow in the Baldwin the Bartlett 

 pears you get will be of most inferior quality, and you will never 



