SPORTS, AND STOCKS AND GRAFTS. 89 



that if the self-colored graft had been left on the plant, the color 

 would have been permanent, the same shoot continuing to produce 

 the same self-colored flower. 



William Gray, Jr., said that one remarkable sport had not been 

 mentioned, — the purple beech. This originated in Germany from 

 a sport, and all others have been raised from it. 



Mr. Hovey remarked that the difference in purple beeches can 

 be accounted for by their being seedlings ; the true purple can be 

 propagated only by grafting, 



Mr. Wilder said that the most curious thing in regard to sports 

 is that the descending sap of the variegated abutilon should cause 

 variegation in the stock of a green variety. 



Mr. Gray said this was the best proof of the influence of the 

 graft on the stock, as we know that disease can be propagated by 

 grafting. 



Mr. Hovey said that he was not certain that the variegation of Abu- 

 tilon Thompsoni was owing to disease, — it might be only a want of 

 chlorophyll. A French writer had accounted for the brilliant colors 

 of autumn leaves by the chemical action of acids in the leaves. 

 Mr. Thompson has shown that it is almost impossible to influence 

 the stock by the scion. If you cut within an eighth of an inch of 

 the junction of the pear and quince in a dwarf pear tree, you will 

 get a pear shoot above and a quince shoot below. 



Mr. Gray said that it was immaterial whether variegation is a 

 disease or a want of vitalit3\ Tricolor geraniums, when grafted 

 on green stocks, sometimes throw out a variegated shoot below the 

 graft. Many of the silver variegated pelargoniums which show 

 leaves wholly white, are too sick to live. 



James Cruickshanks related an incident in the visit of a gentle- 

 man to the seat of a Scotch nobleman, where he saw some very 

 handsome variegated sycamores, and when he spoke of their beauty 

 to the nobleman the latter replied that they reminded him too much 

 of his own diseased body. 



E. W. Buswell inquired whether variegated leaved plants are not 

 less vigorous than those with plain leaves. 



Mr. Hovey replied that they were sometimes, but not always, 

 and that this was the only reason why he had not concluded that 

 variegation is a disease. 



President Parkman remarked that the variegation of the ash- 

 leaved negundo, and similar variegations were commonly attended 



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