86 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ing over many years, is that a vigorous stock communicates some 

 of its vigor to the weaker scion. The Bartlett pear and Baldwin 

 apple in the course of a century hate been grafted on millions of 

 seedling stocks, of every degree of vigor, and probabl}', if they 

 could have shown it by fruiting, of different qualities. They have 

 also been grafted upon grafted stocks of the very best pears and 

 apples, but to this day they are precisely the same fruits they were 

 a century ago. It is no less surprising than true that this should 

 be so, showing, as it does, a vital power in any plant by which it 

 retains its character so long as it exists. 



A thorough knowledge of the theory of grafting, as laid down 

 by various authors, and particularly by Mr. Robert Thompson, 

 will show that it is scarcely possible that there should be Sir\y 

 influence whatever, unless that of vigor or weakness of the stock, 

 upon the scion, and whether variegation be disease or not, the 

 only instances of any influence have been the variegated abutilon 

 and jasmine, for the flower of the abutilon continues precisely as 

 it would have been on an ungrafted plant, showing conclusively 

 that the influence is upon the leaf alone, whicli favors the theory of 

 Moretti that disease can be propagated by grafting. 



Time has prevented me from looking up information which 

 might be of value. I have only endeavored to open the subject, 

 thinking that the discussion upon it would bring out facts which 

 the ablest authors have failed to record. 



Mr. Hovey illustrated his paper by exhibiting three flowers from 

 one plant of Azalea puncttdata variegata, as an example of a sport 

 in color, each of the three flowers being of a different color ; and a 

 flower of Camellia hexangularis, as an example of a sport in the 

 form of a flower, the latter being only a variet}'^ of the Lady Hume. 

 Among many instances of recent sports, he alluded to Aeht/ranthes 

 Verscliaffelti aureus variegatus, and a similar one of A. Lindeni., 

 which he had obtained himself and which was now known as A. 

 Lindeni Hoveyi. Since attention has been turned to this subject 

 many of these sports have been fixed. The curious conifers from 

 Japan are probably sports. The variegated Sciadopitys is doubt- 

 less a sport ; so also the variegated UeUidsporas and others ; so of 

 weeping and other peculiarly formed trees. All cultivators should 

 look through their beds of seedlings, and seize the opportunity to 

 perpetuate such variations as are worthy. The pears with striped 



