l'U01'A(JATU)N 



N-] 



PRACTICE OF IIOKTICULTURE. 



[ULDDINU, Lie. 



of grorting. Fruit may be obtnincd from 

 8Ct>illinij plants by thoao prooosses much 

 earlier than by any o'hora : tho ijuality of 

 eet'iiling fruit trees mny bo ascertuined in 

 two or tiireo years, instead of twenty or 

 thirty ; and thus loni:^ ami objectless ex- 

 pectation may be avoided." It has been 



denied by Mr. Knight ; but it Ih maintained by 

 Dr. Litidley. In his Theory of Jforticiilfurti 

 ho says—" Probably in Perwia, tho nutivo 

 country of the peach, that speciefl, or its wild 

 typo tho almond, is the bcHt stock for the 

 former fruit ; because tho temperature of l;ie 

 earth is that in which it was created to grow, 

 ascertained, by Mr. Knii^ht, that it is within Jiut in a climate like that of England, tho 

 the reach of possibility to transfer tho blossom- i summer temperature of whoso soil is eo much 

 buds of one plant to another, so as to obtain I lower than that of Persia, the plum, on which 

 tiowers or fruit from them immediately, llo tho peacli takes freely, is a iiardy native, and 

 thus fixed on the wild rose the llower-buds of suited to such soil ; and its roots aro aroused 

 garden roses ; and these buds being pleuti- from their winter sleep by an amount of 

 fully supplied with nourishment, produced warmth insufficient for the peach. Experience, 

 much finer roses than they would have done in this case, completely confirms what theorv 

 had tliey been permitted to retain their teaches ; for although there may be a fevv 

 natural situation. He repeated many similar healthy trees in tliis country, growing upon 

 experiments upon tho pear and peach tree, the almond stock, it is certain that the greater 

 with equal success ; but in the case of the part of those which have been planted have 



pear, he discovered, that if the buds were 

 inserted earlier than the end of August, or 

 the beginning of September, they became 

 branches and tiowers. 



The modes in whicli these manipulations were 

 performed, were both numerous and various ; 

 aiid the whole theory was fully explained | 

 by De CandoUe, in his Vegetable Fhysiology ; ■ 

 by D'Albret ; also by Knight, and others. 

 The most valuable information on the subject, 



failed ; while, in tlio warm soil of France and 

 Italy, it is the stock upon which the old trees 

 have, in almost all cases, budded." 



That budding and grafting may be practised 

 with greater certainty of success, a soil suit- 

 able to the nature of the stock should bo 

 carefully chosen. Thus experiment has proved 

 that, in loamy soils, the apple succeeds best 

 on the Doucin stock; and in chalky soils, 

 the crab. The pear thrives best in a loamv 



however, is to be obtained in Dr. Lindley's soil, or in light soils enriched with decayed 



Theory of Horticulture, from which we have 

 already quoted, and which is one of the best 

 works on this subject in the language. As 

 the parent possesses considerable iniluence 

 over the scion, great care should be taken 

 in making tho selection. If nothing more 

 than the increase of individuals was to be 

 expected froni the operations of budding and 

 grafting, then the stocks most readily ob- 



vegetablo matter, when grafted on the 

 quince; but on light chalky soils the wild 

 pear is preferable. The plum succeeds best 

 on loamy soils ; when worked on the piuni 

 stock ; but it does better on the almond, if in 

 chalky or light soils. Tlie cherry thrives best 

 in loamy, or in light rich soils, when worked 

 on the wild cherry ; and in chalk when on 

 the mahaleb stock. In horticulture, as in every 



tained, if of a relationship near enough to the other science, one condition influences another. 



scion or bud, would be the most suitable. 

 But this is only of secondary importance. 

 AVhat is of far higher moment, is the fact 

 that the operation ennobles the tree, by meta- 

 morphosing its character to an improved con- 

 dition, whether as regards its flowers or fruits. 

 To a certain extent, it hardens a tender sort 

 when worked on a stock more capable of eU' 



Thus, the stock considerably affects the fruit 

 as well as the strength of the scion. This ha^ 

 been proved in the case of the Stanwick nec- 

 tarine, which has a great tendency to crack 

 rather than ripen in the ordinary way. A\'e are 

 informed tliat this tendency can be cured by 

 bcing first budded on a very strong magnum 

 bonum plum, about a foot high from tho 



during cold, or one which is better adapted to ground. Tlie quality of the fruit is, in general, 

 the low-soil temperature of northern latitudes, also improved by growing the plant in this 

 than such as may bo natural to the tree from manner. 



which the bud or scion is taken. 

 G E 



This fact is ' Budding has been defined as consisting iu 



945 



