74 THE CONNECTICUT PO MO LOGICAL SOCIETY. 



was much more than where the stocks were of one variety. 

 The root-grafted trees varied from 9 to 12 inches; the top- 

 grafted seedlings from 8 to 12 inches. The. top-grafted 

 Northern Spy from 12 1-2 to 13 3-4 inches. The top- 

 grafted Lyscom varied too little to detect. That shows that 

 to have an even orchard the stocks should be of one variety. 

 Benj. Hathaway, another old experimenter in Michigan, 

 found that root-grafted trees were often larger than when 

 top-grafted on young seedlings, yet in most cases came 

 into bearing later. 



How does the cion affect the stock. In the case of 

 nursery-budded or root-grafted trees, any nursery boy will 

 tell you each kind has different roots. He knows that 

 some kinds always dig hard, others easy, according to 

 whether the variety has spreading, fibrous or long tap 

 roots. Some well-posted men go so far as to declare that 

 varieties can be told by the roots as well as tops. One 

 very peculiar instance of change of root to suit the top was 

 where a lot of wild plum seedlings were top-budded with 

 some varieties of European plum. At the end of one 

 year's growth on removing the lot every marked tree was 

 found to have a much smaller root than those not changed. 

 The effect was' to stop the growth of the root. A 

 Southern grower claimed that plum on peach caused the 

 latter to grow darker and harder. More than that, the 

 borers did not touch these trees, while other peaches 

 nearby were badly eaten. E. H. Hart of Florida states 

 that when the wild sour orange of that State was grafted 

 to lemon it increased in diameter much faster than when 

 marked with sweet orange. Our English growers said the 

 same effect was produced in the quince by putting a 

 strong growing pear upon even an unmarked quince. 



Perhaps the case in an English garden, where a wall- 

 trained Ribston Pippin had became unhealthy and failed 

 to grow or bear, shows the influence of the cion as strongly 

 as any. Each alternate arm was grafted to Alexander, 

 the intention being to graft the others the next year, but a 

 change in health and growth was at once noted and the 

 arms not grafted again produced fine fruit. The change of 

 the tree was not carried farther. But whatever the effect 



