302 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



Manning adds : " 'Ro other influence have we ever noticed 

 exercised by the scion upon the stock." 



But if, after all, it can be sbo^vn by actxial trial, that the 

 pits of budded peaches do go back to the fruit of the 

 stocky why we must receive it, in spite of all theory ; for, 

 (and some would do well to heed the maxim), facts must 

 rule our theories, and not theories our fact. But we may 

 properly put any facts seeming to contravene the received 

 theory of the functions of plants in producing fruit, upon 

 their oath^ and refuse them, unless they are xmquestionable 

 and relevant. 



Suppose a budded peach not to yield a fruit at all like 

 the bud, suppose it to resemble the fruit of the stock, it 

 does not follow that the stock influenced the fruit to such a 

 change. Mr. Longworth knows how freely some peaches 

 " sport," and that all peaches may be made to do it. If a 

 Melacatune be budded upon a Red Rareripe, and the Mela^ 

 catune pit shows a fruit resembling the Red Rareripe, it 

 must be shown that the blossom had not been crossed by 

 the busy oflices of flies, bees, etc., with the pollen of con- 

 tiguous Red Rareripe-trees. 



When a tree is even solitary^ it does not follow that a 

 change in fruit which shall make it resemble the stock more 

 than the graft, results from the force of the stock on the 

 grafted fruit, for seedlings of grafted fruit are, notoriously 

 often, base aiid degenerate ; and the resemblance might be 

 accidental, for seedlings of different origin are often strik- 

 ingly alike. 



While we are aware of no facts which justify Mr. Long- 

 worth's suspicion, that the pits of budded varieties produce 

 kinds like the stock on Avhich the bud was put, we have 

 facts enough showing that "budded pits" produce their 

 own kind. 



It may be added that thoroughly ripe peaches are lesa 

 inclined to " sport " than those which are partially green. 



