294 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



duction of some desired variety of flower, fruit or foliage, which 

 has resulted from the modification of the original or wild plant 

 by cultivation or accident. Thus all the beautiful purple 

 beeches are said to have been reproduced from one tree in Ger- 

 many, whicli was an accidental variety, and many of our 

 choicest fruits and flowers have been originated by hybridiza- 

 tion and other artificial means. 



In a few instances, different species have been united in this 

 way, but the size and vigor of the mismated product is very 

 decidedly affected, and, except for particular, and for the most 

 part temporary objects, such unions are undesirable. The 

 most valuable results have thus far been attained l)y grafting 

 the pear upon the quince, a tree upon a shrub belonging to a 

 different genus. The dwarf trees thus produced come into 

 bearing very early, and with high culture yield for a limited 

 period large crops of fruit, which in some cases is of finer 

 quality than that borne by standards of the same variety. 

 When grafted upon the mountain ash, a small tree of the same 

 genus, the pear is said to ripen its fruit earlier than under other 

 circumstances. It has also been grown with less success upon 

 the apple, the hawthorn and the medlar. The peach and 

 apricot may be grafted upon the j)lum, and thereby become, 

 perhaps, somewhat more hardy in our climate in consequence of 

 the check thus imposed upon their tendency to grow and fruit 

 excessively while young. It is also said tliat in England the 

 plum stock causes an earlier development of the buds in the 

 spring from its superior hardiness, and so lengthens the season, 

 which at the best lacks the heat requisite for the highest ripen- 

 ing of the peach. 



Some varieties of pear refuse to unite with a quince stock, 

 and are propagated as dwarfs by double grafting, that is, hj 

 grafting them upon other dwarf varieties, which are growing 

 freely upon the quince. 



In the production of new varieties of apples and pears from 

 seedlings, the young shoots may be brought to bearing very 

 soon by grafting them upon a mature tree ; and, when a valu- 

 able varietji^ is secured, it may be multiplied with surprising 

 rapidity by the process of budding young stocks. 



"Whether the character of the fruit of the stock has any clTect 

 upon the fruit of the graft is very doubtful, although gardeners 



